Summer Fading Fast
by PurpleUnicorn88
Summary: Silandra always dreamed of leaving Candlekeep and doing something meaningful with her abilities. When she finally gets the chance, she finds the world is a much colder place than she expected.
1. Chapter 1

It was far too early to be awake, especially after so much dancing the night before. Silandra had never been particularly strong, but this morning she found she was struggling even more than usual with the stack of books she was trying to bring to her desk. She let out a cry of dismay as her grip slipped and the book tower began to fall, but a stronger pair of hands reached out and steadied it. She soon found herself relieved of most of the books, and the face of her savior came into view.

"Thank you Shistal," she said, smiling. "I'm a little tired this morning."

"I thought you were a morning person," Shistal replied, setting the books down on the nearby desk. He was one of the few residents of Candlekeep who was similar in age to Silandra, and although he was a monk he was nothing like most of the others, who were old, boring and overly strict.

"Sometimes. Imoen had me dancing most of the night. You know what she's like."

"At least you're unlikely to get into trouble for dancing. Drinking, however…"

Silandra laughed. "Don't worry. Hull and Fuller have clearly shown us the dangers of _that_."

Shistal laughed too, but stopped abruptly, a serious look overcoming his face so quickly it was almost comical. Silandra calmed herself too, able to guess the reason. She turned around and saw Karan, her tutor for the morning. Although he was not quite as crotchety as some of the old monks, he firmly believed Candlekeep library was a place for study and quiet contemplation.

"I'll leave you to your studies, Silandra," Shistal said, nodding a greeting to Karan before scurrying away.

"Good morning Karan," Silandra said, arranging her books on the desk. "I hope you are well."

Karan had looked like he might be about to admonish her for 'disrespecting the sanctity of the Great Library', but he evidently decided against it. "I am well enough. I hope you are prepared for today's lessons."

"Of course," Silandra said, sounding more certain than she felt. It was a struggle just to keep her eyelids from drooping. "I found all the books you asked for."

"Then we will begin," Karan said, and they both sat down. "We'll start with _The Intricacies of Arcane Forms_, then perhaps revise your history. If there is time before the midday meal, then we can go over a few enchantments. How does that sound?"

Silandra did not dare voice what she really thought. "It sounds great."

Karan raised an eyebrow. "I know it may seem like it's taking a while to get to what you're really interested in, but you chose this, Silandra."

That was technically true, though Silandra resented the way she had come to make that choice. When her magic first emerged a few years ago, she had been content with ignoring traditional spells and forming her energy to her liking. She grew more powerful, however, and finally her foster father told her that she must make a choice—undertake formal arcane studies or have her magic bound so she could not hurt anyone. She still thought it was unfair—like she would hurt anyone here at Candlekeep!—but she did have to admit that her studies had been helping with control, something she had sometimes struggled with before.

"I'm sorry Karan," she said. "I do appreciate all you've been doing for me. And I did all the reading you assigned."

"I'm pleased to hear it," Karan said, smiling. "Let us begin, shall we?"

* * *

When her morning classes were over, Silandra debated poring over the enchantment book she had spent the last hour examining. It was the school that interested her the most, probably because she had a natural affinity for it. But after a yawn—one of many that morning—she decided she should just eat and do her chores. Maybe she would get in a nap before evening.

She was surprised to see Gorion on her way out of the library. As her foster father, he was the only family she knew, but lately it was rare to see him during the day. Something was on his mind and he spent most of his time studying in his room on the upper levels of the library, seldom even sharing the evening meal with her.

"Silandra, I'm glad I have found you," he said. "You must pack your possessions so that we may leave Candlekeep as soon as possible."

"What's wrong?" she asked, stunned. She had never been allowed to leave the keep before, despite asking countless times. Gorion always said it wasn't safe, but at eighteen she was beginning to itch for the outside world and had been wondering if she would have to devise some way to sneak out.

"I can't explain now," said Gorion, and he thrust a coin purse into her hands. "Go see Winthrop and prepare yourself for a journey. I will meet you on the library steps within the hour."

With that he was gone, likely off to make his own preparations. He had sounded anxious—maybe even afraid. Gorion was a powerful wizard and had been an adventurer when he was younger, though he rarely spoke of those days. What could possibly worry him so much? Despite this, she felt a thrill of excitement. Finally, she was leaving. Perhaps they would even have an adventure or two.

She made her way to the inn, where she lived. Gorion had tried to get her a room in the library but Ulraunt was against it, even now that she was an adult, and since he was Keeper of the Tomes his word was final in Candlekeep. Silandra had always felt it unfair that Ulraunt appeared to judge her on what she was, that he had no faith in her ability to control her magic despite how far she had come.

She decided to drop into the priests' quarters on her way to see if any of her favorite tutors were around. She didn't want to leave without saying goodbye, thought with the short amount of time Gorion had given her that was going to be inevitable in some cases. She was already latching onto this as a new reason to resent him. She wondered where Imoen was. She hated the thought of leaving without talking to her best friend first.

She was so lost in thought that it took her a moment to realize the man standing before her was not a priest, nor was he anyone else she knew. He was an elf, though he looked nothing like the ones who usually visited Candlekeep. This man did not appear to be a mage or a scholar; in fact, he looked more like a ruffian, wearing coarse linen clothes and holding a dagger.

He was evidently very excited to see her for some reason. She kept an eye on his dagger, barely listening to what he was saying.

"I do not recognize you," she said. "Who are you?"

"Who I am is unimportant, but who _you_ are is very much so," he said. "I do apologize; I hate to kill a pretty thing like you, but it would seem your head is worth an exceptional amount to—"

In a panic, she let a magic missile fly in a burst of pink light before the elf could put that dagger to use. She was glad he apparently had such a speech to get out before he struck, though she did wish he had said something a little more useful, such as who wanted her dead. She was not sure she would have made it if she had waited, her nerves too frazzled to even try her charm, and now he was useless for speaking, his chest smoking and his eyes glazing over in death.

She stood there a moment, trying to process what had just happened. She had never killed anyone before, and violence was forbidden within Candlekeep, but surely it was different when he was threatening to kill her? Fingers trembling, she searched the man's pocket for clues, but all he had on him was the dagger he had planned on killing her with.

She didn't know what to do with the body so she just left, trying to act normal. Maybe she would be gone before anyone found him.

Despite her best efforts, she felt her composure slipping as she walked purposefully towards the inn, trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or even more anxious when her eyes fell on a familiar figure, but he had noticed her already and she knew she could not ignore him.

"Good afternoon, Hull," she said, trying her best to smile.

"Sil, what's wrong?" asked the tall armored man.

Silandra sighed. Hull was a few years older than her and had come to the keep when he was young, so they had known each other a long time. Too long for her to fool him easily. Of course, since he was a Watcher, perhaps he could help her.

"Gorion came to me after my morning lesson and told me we're leaving Candlekeep," she said. "I'm on my way to the inn to get supplies and wanted to say goodbye to as many people as possible first, so I entered the priest quarters and… A man in there attacked me. He's dead now."

Hull was clearly shocked. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, just… a little shaken."

"And you're really leaving?"

"Gorion wants to depart soon. He didn't say why."

"I should investigate the man who attacked you but… if you're leaving so soon it can wait. Perhaps instead I should accompany you until you leave. I'll feel better knowing you're safe."

Silandra smiled, though she held back the magic that came so naturally at such times. That was especially important around men. "Thank you," she said. "I can't imagine it happening again, but I'd appreciate your company. Were you heading to the inn?"

"Aye, we got a little carried away with our ale last night and Fuller forgot he was out of bolts. So of course he sent _me_ out to fetch them for him. Figured I'd grab a meal too. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, but I don't have much time."

"You shouldn't set out on a journey on an empty stomach. Winthrop always has something delicious ready to go. You can eat while you walk if you have to, if that's not too unladylike for you."

Silandra managed a laugh at that. "You know I'm no lady, no matter how Gorion insists I act like one."

When they reached the inn she headed upstairs to pack, leaving Hull to order food. She checked the room beside hers, which belonged to Imoen, but it was empty. She sighed and headed into her own room. She set down her rucksack and emptied it onto her bead. She could not take all those books with her; they would be too heavy, though she regretted the interruption to her studies. She did place her spellbook back in the bag. That was something she didn't think she could go without.

As she packed, she thought for the first time how lucky it was that she did not have too many possessions. Definitely nothing of any kind of sentimental value, except perhaps some of her dresses. She knew it was silly to care so much about clothing, but she liked to look nice.

She glanced at herself in the mirror, but of course she lingered longer than necessary. She couldn't help it; that was just one of the faults of what she was. She was beautiful and she liked looking at beautiful things. Her skin was very pale, yet she did not burn in the sun. Her eyes were a deep forest green, and she had long golden hair that she always wore braided and pinned up, since that was what proper young ladies did. The style made her ears seem more prominent; their slight points the main reason people assumed she was a half-elf. Her facial features could be considered elven and she was slim and on the short side like half-elves often were. It was easier to let people believe that was her heritage, for a human with nymph blood was rare and unlikely to be trusted, or so Gorion had told her.

She replaced her soft shoes with a battered pair of boots and drew an equally worn cloak over her dress, then hurried downstairs, her bag slung over her back.

She had just reached the table where Hull was sitting when she noticed a familiar looking visitor.

"Mr. Elvenhair, I did not know you were coming," she said, nodding in respect to a green and gold robed man standing by the fire.

"Yes, I am back within these hallowed halls," the man sighed. "With this iron crisis upon us, the trip from Beregost was more hazardous than I care to relate. You seem to grow more beautiful every time I visit, if you don't mind me saying."

Silandra almost never minded acknowledgments of her beauty and, at least in this case, she knew the man had no ulterior motives where she was concerned. Firebead Elvenhair was a powerful old mage who always made time for her questions and treated her far more kindly than Gorion ever had.

"I didn't know we had an iron crisis," Silandra said. "It's not easy to keep up on current events when I'm not supposed to 'bother' our visitors."

"I doubt very much any visitors would be bothered by _you_, Silandra. The ore coming from the mine down in Nashkel is tainted somehow, and bringing any in from further away is proving difficult because bandits have taken to attacking the caravans."

"I hope it isn't _too_ dangerous out there. I don't know if you've heard yet, but Gorion and I are leaving today. I'm just having a quick lunch and then I'll say my goodbyes."

"Yes, I have heard," the old mage said, looking thoughtful. "Go on, eat, don't let me keep you. I wish you luck on your journey, young Silandra."

With that, he headed out the door. She wanted to ask him what he knew about her upcoming 'journey', since she suspected it was more than she herself knew. But there was no time.

"Sorry about that," she said, taking a seat across from Hull.

"You really didn't know about the iron?" he asked, apparently unperturbed.

"No," Silandra said, taking a bite out of one of Winthrop's famous chicken pies.

"I suppose you don't spend enough time here, or you'd have heard something by now," he said. "Everyone's been talking about it. It could be a real problem if it doesn't get solved soon."

"It seems strange that Gorion's finally letting me leave at such a dangerous time," Silandra said.

Hull shrugged. "He knows how to keep you safe."

They ate quickly, and Silandra headed over to Winthrop. She could just tell he was about to launch into one of the jokes he found so amusing, but she held up her hand.

"Sorry Winthrop, I'm in a hurry," she said. "Gorion and I are leaving shortly and I need supplies."

"I see," Winthrop said, his usual jovial expression replaced by concern. "When'll you be back?"

"I don't know. Regardless, I should probably travel light. How about some darts, a water flask and rations for, say, a week?"

"You got it," Winthrop said, gathering a few things from the shelves and cabinets behind him. "Imoen'll miss ya."

Silandra had been trying not to think too much about having to leave her best friend. "Do you know where she is? I want to find her before I leave."

"She snuck off earlier, as she does. Ya know better than I where she might be."

Silandra and Hull left the inn moments later. He had insisted on carrying her bag, which was a little heavier than she had anticipated. Winthrop had added a few items he called 'traveling essentials' at no extra cost. Silandra wore the darts in a plain leather belt, since 'they wouldn't do any good in her bag', as both Hull and Winthrop had told her.

"Let's go past the garrison so I can drop off Fuller's bolts," said Hull. "I've got to get this antidote to Dreppin too. I almost forgot."

"Why? Is he sick?"

"No, no. It's for one of his cows. Yeah, I know."

Silandra smiled as they walked. Dreppin was around her age and worked with the animals. He _did_ seem to love those cows.

They arrived at the garrison where they stopped briefly to speak with Fuller. He wasn't up for much talking, but he was concerned enough about Silandra going outside Candlekeep in such 'dangerous times' that he gave her a magical dagger. He brushed off her awed thanks as if he had hundreds of them to give away and it was no big deal.

"Perhaps Imoen is in the bunkhouse," said Hull. "She's short sheeted the beds more than once."

"We can at least check," said Silandra. She felt an hour may already have passed, and knew it was not a good idea to keep Gorion waiting, but she _had_ to find Imoen first.

Imoen was not in the bunkhouse, but a scruffy blonde man with a dagger was.

"'Ere there, you're Gorion's whelp aren't ya?" he said, eyes quickly darting between her and Hull. "You don't look so dangerous to me, little girl."

"Who are you to threaten her?" Hull asking, drawing his sword.

"It don't matter who I am," the man said. "Ya really wanna throw your life away defendin' 'er?"

"I'm not the one who'll be dying today," Hull replied.

Although the stranger only had a dagger, Silandra was worried when they began to fight. It turned out there was no need, for it only took a moment for Hull to kick the man to the ground and pin him there with a heavy steel boot. He didn't even need to use his sword.

"Sil, you need to get to Gorion," said Hull. "I'll get to the bottom of this, but it's clear Candlekeep is no longer safe for you. Don't go inside any of the buildings. Straight to the library, you hear?"

"Of course. Thank you, Hull. I… I hope I'll return soon."

"Good luck. Take care of yourself out there."

She left the bunkhouse quickly, her bag heavy on her shoulders. She practically ran the short distance remaining to the library, not even slowing down to admire the gardens she usually enjoyed. All of a sudden, someone darted in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. She was so on edge that she jumped with fright before realizing who it was. Imoen was the only one who wore that particular shade of pink.

"Heya Sil, it's only me," she said, laughing. "What's up with you today?"

Silandra didn't want to worry her, not when she was about to leave. "I'm glad you found me. I'm leaving Candlekeep. Gorion's already waiting for me."

"I know all about your journey," Imoen said. "Wish I could go with ya."

"How do you know? And maybe you _can_ come with us…"

"Oh, don't be silly. Gorion would never even let you finish the sentence. Especially after what that letter of his said… er… did I say that? Nope, never saw no letter. You'd better get going. Gorion's waiting."

"Wait, what letter? What do you know?"

Imoen hugged Silandra briefly. "You're gonna have an adventure Sil," she said. "You can tell me about it when you get back. Now don't keep Mr. G. waiting!"

With that, she was gone. Well, Imoen had never really been the sentimental type, but Silandra had expected a little more of a goodbye. After all, she may not return for a long time. She knew she was out of time, so she continued on her way to the library stairs, wondering what Imoen knew that she did not. At least she was probably about to find out.

Gorion was wearing gray traveling robes and held a quarterstaff, though Silandra knew he had little reason to use it with all the magic he had at his disposal. He looked paler and thinner than usual, and the frown he greeted her with did nothing to improve his appearance.

"Silandra, it's about time," he said. "Are you ready to go?"

"I guess," she replied. She would ask him what could possibly hurt her here, but after the attacks her faith in Candlekeep's safety was fractured. "I was attacked twice since I last saw you."

She thought he actually looked concerned for a moment, but he did not seem surprised. "I was afraid of that. Candlekeep is indeed a formidable obstacle for ne'er-do-wells, but it is not insurmountable. No matter how thick the mesh, at least one mosquito always finds its way through. This is why we must leave."

"Why would anyone want to attack me?" Silandra asked, following Gorion through the gardens.

"I'll tell you once we're well away from here. For now, we must make haste."

As they walked—Silandra struggling to match Gorion's long strides—she wondered why he had not told her that she was in danger. She wasn't sure whether to be glad he had enough faith in her abilities to let her move around the keep unaware, or upset that he perhaps didn't care enough to have a Watcher shadow her. She was glad she had run into Hull, for she was not certain she would have been lucky enough to survive the second attack on her own.

They reached the gates of Candlekeep quickly, though Silandra was no longer in the mood to appreciate having the chance to finally leave. Were those men who wanted her dead the reason she had to leave?

"Listen carefully!" Gorion said, his serious tone drawing her attention instantly. "If we ever become separated, it is imperative that you make your way to the Friendly Arm Inn. There you will meet Khalid and Jaheira. They have long been my friends and you can trust them."

Silandra barely had time to nod before he was heading out the gate, leaving her no choice but to hurry after him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, though she quickly realized she wasn't going to be able to do much talking at the pace they were going.

"You'll know soon enough," Gorion said. "For now we must move quickly."

"Will I return?"

"I do not know."

Silandra frowned, but continued after him. He left the road shortly after they had begun, and when she breathlessly asked why, he told her it was a shortcut. She had always read that it was safest to keep to the main roads, for there were all manner of dangerous creatures in the wilderness and there was also a good chance of getting lost. But Gorion was one of the wisest people she knew, and she made herself trust him.

It only took an hour before her legs began to protest, and her shoulders burned from the weight of her pack which seemed to grow heavier the longer she held it. But Gorion kept going, and surely if an old man could maintain that pace then she could too.

The sky darkened and a light rain began to fall but still they walked, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Silandra kept lagging behind despite her best efforts, the combination of aching limbs and her weariness from last night's lack of sleep making it hard to continue, but Gorion simply told her to keep up.

"Let's hurry, Silandra!" he said, as if she wasn't already moving as quickly as she could. "The night can only get worse so we must find shelter soon. Don't worry; I will explain everything as soon as there is time."

She wondered what constituted shelter to him, for all she could see were a few clumps of trees here and there, appearing sinister in the darkness. She did her best to push on, but she knew she was reaching her limit. She just wasn't used to such activity; the most physical work she usually did consisted of walking around the keep doing her chores which themselves were hardly strenuous.

Suddenly Gorion stopped, staff at the ready. "Wait! There is something wrong. We are in an ambush. Prepare yourself!"

Silandra felt her heart nearly stop beating. She did not like the fear she thought she detected in his voice. What could he possibly have to be afraid of out here? She drew the magic dagger Fuller had given her, noticing that it glowed ever so slightly in the darkness. She tried to make her mind focus on preparing a magic missile, but she felt she would be lucky to even put her dagger to use with how exhausted she was. If she wasn't so anxious, she may be able to try charming someone. Surely Gorion would not mind her using that ability in a situation like this.

"You're perceptive for an old man," came a deep voice from the darkness somewhere ahead. "You know why I'm here. Hand over your ward and no one will be hurt. If you resist it shall be a waste of your life."

The speaker came into view, a large figure wearing dark, spiked armor that made him appear more demon than man. His face was obscured by his horned helmet; all that she could see were his eyes which seemed to glow gold. He wielded a dark greatsword, which Silandra thought looked to be almost as long as she was tall. Human archers and ogres flanked him, and a woman stood a few steps behind, armored and carrying a flail and shield.

"You're a fool if you believe I would trust your benevolence," said Gorion. "Step aside and you and your lackeys will be unhurt."

"I'm sorry that you feel that way old man."

The ogres moved in, and the archers nocked arrows while the woman began to cast a spell.

"Run Silandra! Get out of here!" Gorion yelled, already launching into a spell of his own.

Silandra felt frozen, and could only watch as Gorion sent a lightning bolt from his fingertips, scorching the ogres to death. She didn't want to just leave him, but she knew she was next to useless here. A flaming arrow shot towards her from the woman, and she only just managed to dodge so it only singed her arm. The burning pain was the shock she needed to move, and soon she was running through the wilderness with no thought as to where she was going, only that she needed to get _away_.

She didn't think she was being chased, but she did not feel like it was safe to stop running until the sounds of battle faded away. She eventually came across a small thicket and crept inside, sitting with her back against one of the bigger trunks. Even if she tried, she didn't think she could run any further. The night was quiet now, and her last thought before succumbing to exhaustion was of Gorion's safety.


	2. Chapter 2

When the first rays of sunlight roused her, Silandra's first thought was that she must have left the curtains open. Then she realized she wasn't in her room at the inn, or even in a bed – she was slumped against the rough trunk of a tree. Her whole body ached and she didn't even want to think about moving.

Wincing, she opened her eyes completely and looked around. Judging by the amount of light poking through the trees, the sun had nearly finished rising. She usually loved watching the sky at dawn and dusk; the colors were so beautiful. She also enjoyed being outside and had sometimes camped out in the gardens back home just to see what it was like sleeping under the stars. But she could appreciate none of that right now.

The events of the previous evening came rushing back to her, and all she could feel was despair. Gorion had not come to get her, and that could only mean that he was unable to. Some adventurer she was. She'd run away at the first sign of danger. Never mind the fact that Gorion had told her to. She should have stayed and fought.

She wondered what the armored fiend had wanted with her. She was a sorceress with fey heritage, which was rare, but it had to be more than that or surely she'd have been in danger long before now. If only Gorion had given her some clue.

Perhaps he was still alive. Maybe he was just injured and couldn't get to her. As much as she resented him at times, he was still the person who'd looked after her all her life, and she couldn't bear the thought that he could be gone because of her.

She knew she had to get up if she had any hope of looking for him. She stretched her aching legs, then her arms. At least she'd somehow managed to retain her pack, though her shoulder muscles protested at the thought of carrying it through another day.

She'd forgotten all about the burn on her arm, until she scraped it against the tree when she tried getting up. She hissed in pain and examined the wound. Thankfully, it didn't look like the spell had done more than singe off a few layers of skin, but it was painful all the same. She was more bothered by the fact that her dress was now ruined and she might end up with a scar. She tried not to think about that right now though, telling herself it wasn't important.

She finally got to her feet and cautiously peered outside the thicket. No one was around, and miraculously, it seemed that her aimless running had brought her near the road. That meant she could eventually find her way to the Friendly Arm Inn… or back to Candlekeep. She stopped that line of thought quickly. Without Gorion, she knew she would not be welcome there, not unless she managed to get her hands on the exorbitant entry fee.

She looked in the direction she'd come – or, at least, where she _thought _she'd come from – but hesitated. She might not find the road again if she went looking for Gorion, and there were the wild animals to worry about.

She hadn't been standing there long when she heard light footsteps behind her. Fearing the worst, she turned quickly, magic building within her. She sighed in relief when she saw that it was only Imoen.

Her best friend was easy to recognize, since she was still wearing pink. In fact, Silandra didn't think she owned anything in any other color, even though it clashed with her red hair. Imoen looked well-prepared for an adventure, with her belt full of thieving tools, a short sword at her waist and a bow in her hand.

"Sorry I followed you," she said quietly, far removed from her usual cheerful self. "I just couldn't let you have an adventure without me. And I thought you might need help. I saw Gorion and… I'm so sorry."

Silandra threw her arms around her, glad to see a friendly face. Imoen's words confirmed her fears though – Gorion was gone. At least she wouldn't have to go on alone. Imoen didn't have any real fighting experience but she'd spent some time at the archery range and learned how to use a sword, so her company would be welcome in more ways than one.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said, her voice wobbling a little. "But how could you know… the letter that you didn't read?"

"I read it by accident," said Imoen, then took in Silandra's expression. "Okay, so I was snoopin'. Can't remember exactly what it said but I… well, I got there pretty soon after you were attacked. Heard all the noise and kept hidden 'til it was safe. I found it on Gorion's… on his body. Hope you don't mind."

"I'm glad, because… I don't know if I could go back there. I don't want to see Gorion like that."

Imoen handed over the letter, and Silandra took a deep breath before unrolling the parchment and beginning to read.

"I don't understand," she said when she'd finished. "Whoever wrote this, whoever this 'E' is… he was warning Gorion of something, and I'm pretty sure Gorion knew what it was. I think he knew he might die. I just wish he'd told me what we were running from."

She burst into tears, unable to contain herself anymore, and Imoen pulled her into another hug.

"Doncha worry Sil," she said, trying to sound upbeat. "We'll find who killed him and why. I know it's not the kind of adventure we dreamed of, but it's the one we've got."

"The man who killed him, he was after me!" Silandra said through her tears. "Who would want me dead?"

"You sure? You hardly even _know_ anyone."

"I was attacked before I left, too, back in Candlekeep, but they were nothing like him."

Imoen went pale. "Really? You okay?"

"Well I'm standing here, aren't I? I… killed the first one myself. And Hull was with me when the second attacked; he was able to restrain him. Maybe he'll be able to find out why they were after me."

"You killed someone? You need to talk about it?"

"I'm… fine." It was strange, but Silandra didn't feel particularly bad about killing the man. "He was trying to kill me. He deserved it. And it's not like there was any blood. I just blasted him."

"Well, I'm here for you, if you need me," Imoen said. "Hull will make sure there's a full investigation. Ulraunt'll allow it; can't have assassins getting inside Candlekeep. Not sure how we'd get the results of course. For now we should just get moving. Maybe this Khalid and Jaheira will know something."

"You're right," said Silandra, wiping her tears away. "Wait, what about Gorion's body? We can't just leave him there."

"The Watchers patrol this way a few times a week," said Imoen. "They'll find him. We can't do anything for him; there are _wolves_ out here and they look mean."

"Let's go then," Silandra said. "Hopefully the inn isn't too far. Traveling is harder than I expected and I'm sore all over. But I don't want to spend another night out here."

"I thought you liked sleeping outside."

"I do, when I know there aren't monsters out there waiting to kill me."

"We'll fend 'em off. We're adventurers now."

Silandra smiled slightly. "Right. Adventurers."

As they walked, Silandra gave a detailed account of the attacks before she left Candlekeep. Then Imoen tried to distract her from her thoughts by teasing her about Hull, even though she _knew_ that Silandra only liked him as a friend.

"He likes you way more than that," Imoen said, giggling. "He was too scared of Gorion to do anything about it though."

Silandra knew she probably shouldn't have been so surprised. But she'd always thought of Hull as an older brother, and it was strange to think that he saw her in that way. She'd probably accidentally charmed him a few times. She'd done that a lot when she was younger.

"Wait, there's someone up ahead. Two someones." Silandra had to squint to see them, which meant Imoen probably couldn't yet.

"What do they look like?" Imoen asked.

"Mmm… one is very short. A child? No, too ugly for that."

Imoen giggled. "What then?"

"A halfling, I think, and a man wearing a green robe. A wizard, perhaps."

"D'ya think they've seen us?"

"Maybe. Let's just be careful."

As they drew closer, the features of the two men were easier to make out. The halfling was indeed ugly, his appearance hardly helped by the scowl he wore, and he had a short sword at his waist. The man with him looked far more approachable. He had a bizarre tattoo across his face, but otherwise he seemed normal enough. The two were having a conversation, but their voices died down as the girls approached.

"Adventurers, I'll bet!" Imoen whispered excitedly.

"Possibly," Silandra replied. She wasn't quite ready to trust any random strangers they came across, not after what she'd just gone through.

The halfling reached for his sword, but the man with him held out his hand.

"Hold Montaron!" he said. "This young wayfarer is in need. Someone has set about thee and you have barely escaped with your life."

"Aye, Xzar," said the halfling, his voice gruff in comparison. "Looks to have been roughed up quite well."

"Perhaps you'd like a healing potion?" Xzar asked.

Silandra definitely wasn't going to accept any kind of potion from these two. There was something off about them, but she couldn't work out what it was. Still, she didn't feel she could turn down help when it was offered.

"It's only a slight burn," she said. "I wouldn't waste a potion on it. But we'd be grateful for assistance, if there's anything else you can do."

Xzar was already in the process of withdrawing a couple of blue-tinted bottles, and opened his mouth to speak. Then he frowned and blinked a few times, looked at Montaron, then looked back at her. He didn't say anything and soon the silence began to get uncomfortable. Finally, the halfling sighed.

"You two," he said. "Know how ter fight?"

"Of course we do!" said Imoen. "We're adventurers, doncha know!"

Xzar brightened and patted Montaron on the shoulder. "Yes, we are looking for companions. You see, we are on our way to Nashkel. It is a troubled area and we mean to investigate some disturbing rumors surrounding the local mine. We are to meet the mayor of the town, a man named Berrun Ghastkill."

"What're you doin' so far west if you're going to Naskhel?" Imoen asked. "Did you get lost?"

Montaron scowled. "'Cause not. The wizard 'felt' somthin' which… led us astray."

"What did you feel?" Silandra asked, gazing at the mage a little too intently.

"Magic, of course, and the essence… oooooo, naughty nymph!" Xzar's voice was suddenly very high pitched. "Your parlor tricks won't work on me!"

Silandra blinked and checked herself. She hadn't intended to try charming him. She'd been getting so good at controlling it too. Perhaps the stress of recent events was to blame. But how was he able to know what she was so easily, and how did he even know he was being charmed?

"Sil!" Imoen admonished, then turned to the two. "She didn't mean it. You see, she just lost her foster father last night, and if she thinks you might know what happened then she wants to know."

"I can speak for myself," Silandra said. "I _am_ sorry. But yes, we were attacked last night and I thought perhaps that might be what you sensed, and if you hold any kind of clue…"

"She's a nymph?" Montaron asked his companion skeptically.

"_Half_-nymph," Sil corrected, annoyed.

"Give us some of your hair and perhaps we'll forget ye tryin' to charm my companion."

"My… hair?"

"Nymph hair's worth a fortune!"

"But I'm only half, and I hardly think…"

"It'll look close enough. Just a lock."

Silandra sighed. She was pretty sure only a full-blooded nymph's hair had any kind of magical properties, but she wouldn't put it past these two to turn on her and Imoen, and if this was what she had to do to make up for her weak charming attempt, then it was a small price to pay. She unpinned her hair – it was a mess by now anyway – and hesitated only a moment before using her dagger to shear off an inch from the bottom of her braid. Montaron accepted it with a queer smirk on his face. She hoped she wouldn't come to regret this.

"So, Nashkel?" Xzar asked, smiling a little too widely.

"You still want us to accompany you?" Silandra asked.

"Of course!" Xzar exclaimed.

"I suppose… we _would_ be interested in investigating the iron crisis, right Imoen?"

"Sure, but we should meet Gorion's friends first."

"I haven't forgotten. Xzar, Montaron, we would be glad to help you, but we must head to the Friendly Arm Inn First. We have to meet some friends there. Perhaps you'll go with us?"

"We've precious little time, but it is best to travel accompanied," Xzar said.

"Aye," said Montaron. "We'll get yer friends and then head straight ter Naskhel."

"I just need a moment," said Silandra, setting her pack down and beginning to rummage around.

"Sil, your hair looks fine," Imoen said, rolling her eyes.

"No it doesn't!" Silandra cried, beginning to get frantic. She stood after a moment, empty-handed. "Imoen, do you have a mirror?"

"Course not!" Imoen said. "I brought useful things."

"Oh… oh no," Silandra said, biting her lip. "I can't believe I didn't bring one! My hair is messy!"

Imoen sighed and turned to their two new companions, who thankfully looked more confused than irritated. "'Scuse us a moment, will ya?" she asked, and pulled Silandra a short distance away.

"You're gonna have to do without a lot of things you're used to out here, Sil," she said. "I'll fix your hair and you'll just have to trust me that it looks okay."

"Alright," Silandra said, trying to control herself. She was _not_ going to cry about this. She knew it wasn't logical, but she was upset all the same, and on top of the previous night's events it was hard not to just collapse into a heap and cry.

"There, you look like a lady again," Imoen said, taking a step back. "Though you really don't have to anymore."

Silandra brightened a little. "You're right! I could have any hairstyle I want! Once we get to the inn and I can see myself we can do some experimenting. Montaron, Xzar, lead the way!"

Their two new companions set a fast pace, faster than Silandra had expected a halfling to comfortably move. But they were probably seasoned travelers and used to it. She focused on just putting one foot in front of the other, trying not to fall too far behind or show how much pain she was in. She still did not trust these two and did not want to show weakness in front of them.

Imoen was in high spirits. It was hard for anything to keep her down for long. She began to question Xzar incessantly until he gave in and revealed that he was a necromancer. Imoen had always had a fascination with magic, if not the patience to learn, and so then she began a whole new line of questioning. If it wasn't clear enough already, it was certain now that Xzar wasn't quite sane, but as long as he didn't turn on them Silandra decided she could handle it.

She didn't really _like_ the idea of traveling with a necromancer or such an ugly, foul-tempered little man, but she also knew it was probably her best chance at getting safely to Gorion's friends. When she reached them, then she could reevaluate the situation.

She kept an eye on Montaron. After all, she was pretty sure he'd been about to attack or at least threaten her and Imoen when they'd first met. Every now and then he scowled at nothing in particular.

"Will we reach the inn tonight?" she asked.

"Should do, if ye can keep up," he said.

She wondered if he'd noticed her struggle, and renewed her efforts.

They stopped briefly for a midday snack. While Silandra, Montaron and Xzar only had plain traveling rations, Imoen's bag seemed almost completely full of food. She was happy enough to share the fresh bread and cheese she'd 'acquired' from Winthrop's inn. Having a decent meal helped, but Silandra still worried her energy would give out before they made it to the inn.

It was late afternoon before they encountered anyone else. If anyone screamed 'wizard' then it was the stranger who approached them. He wore a long red robe and pointed hat, and Silandra even thought she could _feel_ the power emanating from him. She prepared herself for a fight. The man didn't look aggressive, but wizards could be tricky, especially powerful ones.

"Ho there wanderer," he said, his eyes on Silandra. "Stay thy course a moment to indulge an old man." His voice was surprisingly strong considering his age.

Silandra calmed herself, though she was sure the stranger was more than just an 'old man'. "Can we help you?" she asked.

"Just looking for some conversation, after traveling so long without seeing a soul. Not many brave the roads these days. May I ask where thou art headed?"

"The Friendly Arm Inn," Silandra said, hoping her instinct to trust this man was correct. "I'm to meet some friends there. Is it far?"

"The inn is but a short distance to the north. I have no doubt that thy friends are there, waiting with open arms. My sympathies for any hardships the road may have inflicted upon thee. But I have wasted too much of thy time and said too much already. I shall take my leave and wish thee all the best."

"Wait, what do you know of my hardships?" Silandra asked.

But somehow, the man was gone. She hadn't seen him disappear; it was almost as if he'd never been there to begin with. She looked around, stunned.

"Hey Sil, who was _that_?" Imoen asked.

"I have no idea," said Silandra, still a little bewildered.

"Sounded like he knew ya," Montaron said suspiciously.

"Maybe he does know me, somehow," said Silandra. "More likely, he knew my foster father. But I can assure you, I've never seen him before in my life."

"He's a powerful one," Xzar said. "Such pretty magic in him."

"Yes, there was… magic in him," said Silandra. "Quite a lot for him to be able to just disappear like that. Well, at least we know we're close to the inn, if he was telling the truth, and I think he was."

They continued on their way, and Silandra was just thinking how lucky it was that they'd not been attacked by any wild animals when she heard an inhuman screech coming from the bushes to her left. She had little time to react before a couple of ugly purple monkeys jumped onto the road. She squealed and jumped back involuntarily. Thankfully, her companions were not rattled so easily. Montaron evaded the creatures' claws easily and stabbed one through its chest. Xzar calmly cast some kind of spell that appeared to suck the life out of the other. It wasn't quite dead yet, but an arrow from Imoen finished it.

"Really Sil?" Imoen asked. "You're embarrassing me in front of our new friends."

"Well I've never seen a monster before!" Silandra said, crossing her arms.

She could see now that the creatures were only gibberlings, and very scrawny ones at that. She'd read about all kinds of monsters and knew that these ones in particular were considered more of a nuisance than a true menace, but being attacked was different to seeing them in a book.

"Ye handled yerself well enough," Montaron said to Imoen, wiping his sword on the grass. "Ye sure yer friend ain't just some random noblewoman ye picked up?"'

"Sil's a powerful sorceress!" Imoen said. "She just had a bad night. I think she'll be back to normal after spending a night at the inn. Let's get moving."

Montaron didn't look convinced, but he and Xzar continued walking, themselves probably eager to get inside. Imoen sidled up to Silandra.

"Hey, you okay?" she whispered.

"Fine," Silandra replied. "I just hope I don't make a fool of myself the next time we get attacked."

"'Spose I've had a little more experience. I've gotten sloppy though, shoulda been payin' more attention to our surroundings."

Of course, Imoen had not spent her whole life in Candlekeep. She'd been on the road as a child and probably got into at least a few skirmishes, considering the kind of company she'd kept. Silandra had always been a little jealous of her for that, even though Imoen said she'd rather have grown up in the safety of a place like Candlekeep where she was always sure of a bed and a warm meal.

Finally, they saw a keep in the distance. Tired as she was, it was sufficient motivation for Silandra to pick up her pace. It was also getting dark, and she thought there was a good chance they'd encounter something worse than gibberlings at night.

As they drew closer, Silandra saw that this wasn't just an inn. She didn't know exactly what she'd been expecting, but it hadn't been a small community with multiple dwellings within. She smiled up at the large building which must be the inn itself. For now, she was safe. She couldn't wait to get inside and relax.


	3. Chapter 3

There were two well-armed guards at the keep's entrance. One stepped forward as the small group approached.

"I trust you mean no trouble," he said. "Keep your weapons sheathed while you are within the keep's walls. Understand?"

"Of course," said Silandra. "You'll have no trouble from us."

At least, she was pretty sure that was the truth. She didn't know Montaron and Xzar well enough to speak for them with true confidence, but hoped they at least had enough sense to follow the rules. She was glad for the guards' presence. She wondered if she might be able to stay here a while. Surely nothing could penetrate these walls. But she realized quickly how silly that thought was – she'd believed the same of Candlekeep.

Imoen was rattling off the list of things she wanted to buy for their continued adventures. It was clear _she_ wasn't thinking of stopping for longer than it took to rest and meet Gorion's friends.

"We really should have a tent," she said. "Me an' you can share. And maybe I could get some armor. Ya think they sell it in pink?"

"I don't know, but if they do I bet it would cost a lot," said Silandra, just realizing now that she had very little gold on her.

"We'll be rich in no time," said Imoen confidently. "We'll go round helping people and they'll pay us for it. And uh… I didn't tell you earlier but Gorion had some gold on him. Not a lot, but it's something. Here ya go."

Silandra accepted the coin purse, not missing the way Montaron's eyes lingered on it. She'd have to be careful around him. She stuffed it down the front of her dress. Let him just try to get it from there.

They passed more guards as they approached the great stone stairs leading up to the inn's entrance. For some reason, Silandra felt the faintest inkling of unease, though she couldn't determine why. All these guards could only mean safety.

She was glad to step inside the well-lit inn, where she was greeted by the sound of music and conversation. This place was much livelier than Winthrop's inn back in Candlekeep, the atmosphere cheerful, and she tried to relax.

Montaron and Xzar headed to the bar without another word, but she stayed near the entrance with Imoen and scanned the room, looking for Gorion's friends. Most of the occupants were unarmed and simply dressed – residents or perhaps traveling merchants.

"Silandra?"

The girls followed the voice to a table off to the side where a man and woman were sitting. They had the look of real adventures, clad in worn armor, their skin tanned from their time spent outdoors. From the points of their ears, Silandra suspected they had some amount of elven blood, though given her own circumstances she didn't like to be too quick to judge race.

The woman stood and approached, looking concerned.

"That is your name, yes?" she asked.

Silandra nodded. "This is Imoen. You're Jaheira?"

"Yes, I am Jaheira, and this is my husband, Khalid. I'd recognize you anywhere from Gorion's description. Where is he?"

"We were attacked shortly after leaving Candlekeep. He didn't make it."

Jaheira frowned. "He worried this may happen. You must be tired. Let's sit and you can explain."

Silandra practically collapsed into the chair. It wasn't particularly comfortable, being made completely of wood and having no cushion, but right now it felt like heaven. She saw Jaheira make some signal in the direction of the bar, and she hoped that meant food would be on the way soon. She was starving.

Imoen was eager to do most of the talking concerning the events of the previous night, and Silandra was happy enough to let her. She'd rather not speak of it yet herself if she didn't have to. Even just listening to how Gorion had been cut down was hard, but she suspected she'd have to get used to it. She showed Khalid and Jaheira the letter that Gorion had been carrying, which only seemed to increase their concern.

"Do you have any idea who this 'E' person is?" Silandra asked.

"I cannot be certain," said Jaheira, frowning. "We will find out soon enough, I expect. And we _will_ find Gorion's murderer."

"He was after me," Silandra said quietly. "He said so."

"I cannot imagine why, but we will get to the bottom of it."

"Gorion didn't speak of this to you? Did he even tell you why we had to leave?"

"He told us that Candlekeep was no longer safe for you, and that he had something important to discuss," said Jaheira. "That is all. We have not seen each other much these past few years."

"He d-did ask us to look after you if anything should h-happen," said Khalid. Silandra had been wondering why he was so quiet, and now she supposed she understood why.

"Yes, of course, you may travel with us, at least while you adjust to life outside Candlekeep," Jaheira said. "You should know, however, that we are on our way to Nashkel. We are to meet with the mayor concerning the problems with the mine."

"That's where Monty and Xzar want us to go!" Imoen exclaimed.

"Those men you entered with?" Jaheira asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep, we met 'em on the road," said Imoen.

"They d-don't look friendly," Khalid said, eyeing the pair uncomfortably.

Silandra glanced over to the bar. Montaron had a mug of ale in front of him, but he seemed more focused on glaring at the people around him. Xzar, on the other hand, was very intently picking drops of red wine from his glass with his fingers and flicking them over a napkin.

"I can't say I'm thrilled by their presence. I was thinking about leaving them after meeting you, but if their quest is the same as yours then perhaps it makes more sense to stick together."

"It just means they'll be in our way regardless," said Jaheira. "I still don't like it."

"C'mon, Monty's a little rough but he reminds me of this thief I used to know, and _he_ was actually a big softy once ya got to know him," said Imoen. "I'm pretty sure Xzar's nuts, but that just makes him fun! Besides, it's dangerous out there. Safety in numbers and all that."

Jaheira's eyes narrowed. "You will find Khalid and I are well-equipped to handle whatever we may encounter on the road."

Their conversation was momentarily interrupted by a serving girl setting a few steaming plates before them, along with mugs of ale. Silandra wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but the food was similar to what was commonly served in Winthrop's inn – fresh bread and butter, roast meat and vegetables. Imoen practically inhaled her first few bites, but years of being told to 'act like a lady' made Silandra restrain herself.

She picked up her mug of ale skeptically. She'd seen the painful mornings the stuff had given Hull and Fuller and did not wish to experience that herself.

"Would you prefer something else?" Jaheira asked. "We usually drink ale because it's cheap refreshment after a day on the road."

"Oh no it's fine, thank you," Silandra said, not wanting to be difficult.

"She's just worried it'll make her sick," said Imoen, taking a big sip of her own. "Some of the guards back home used to overdo it. It's okay Sil, s'long as you don't have too much you don't have to worry."

Silandra took a cautious sip, and almost spat it back out. She tried to cover her distaste, but she obviously didn't do a very good job because Imoen laughed at her.

"You'll get used to it," she said.

"The food's good, at least," Silandra said.

"It might not be for much longer, if we don't get to the bottom of this iron crisis soon," said Jaheira. "Caravans are being accosted more often than not, even when they don't carry iron. That means it's also getting difficult to move food."

"I have to admit, I don't really know much about this iron problem," Silandra admitted. "I only found out about it yesterday."

"N-not much is known at all," Khalid said. "That's why we are g-g-going to investigate. If we can f-find who is responsible, we c-can stop it."

"The iron coming from the Nashkel mine is brittle and has been for months now," said Jaheira. "Any iron from elsewhere rarely makes it to where it's needed because bandits attack the caravans. Hopefully we'll learn more in Nashkel."

"How far is Nashkel?" Silandra asked. "It's south, right?"

"Yes. If we make good time, we will arrive well within a tenday. We will leave first thing in the morning. I suppose you should tell your companions the plan, if you intend to bring them with us."

"I'll go tell them now, since I need to get us a room anyway," said Silandra, the thought having just occurred to her. She hoped there were still some available at this time.

"There's no need. We were expecting you and Gorion and your room is already booked. It's just as well; Bentley's started turning people away."

"That's the innkeeper?"

Jaheira nodded. "We're old friends."

"Is it usually this busy?" Imoen asked.

"Not _this_ busy, no," said Jaheira. "I suspect some of these people are travelers who are too afraid of the bandits to leave."

As Silandra began making her way over to the bar, she again felt the faintest sense of unease, and looked around. The tables were all taken by now, and there were still more patrons standing around. Then her gaze landed on a large armored figure sitting at a table in the darkest corner of the room. His skin was gray, and there was something feral about his features. He set down his mug, and she saw his tusks. A half-orc. She'd never met one before, but she knew they were usually evil. He must be giving off some kind of horrible, dark aura, and that was why she felt so uneasy.

She continued on her way to Montaron and Xzar, though did not let herself forget the half-orc's presence.

"Montaron, Xzar?" she said, when they didn't immediately acknowledge her.

"What is it?" Xzar asked, pleasantly enough. He'd apparently already forgiven her for charming him, which was surprising considering how long it had taken some of the residents of Candlekeep.

"We are going to leave for Nashkel first thing in the morning," said Silandra. "Khalid and Jaheira over there are also on their way to meet the mayor, so they'll be coming with us."

Xzar barely spared the half-elves a glance before returning to his napkin art, but Montaron eyed them for a while. Silandra couldn't see his face, but was sure his thoughts were anything but pleasant. If Gorion's friends thought these two were trouble, then perhaps they were right – she wasn't sure about them herself – but for the moment she was of the opinion that there was safety in numbers.

* * *

An hour later, Silandra was settling into the room that had been intended for her and Gorion. Imoen had elected to stay up a bit longer with Khalid and Jaheira, pestering them to tell her tales of their adventures. Ordinarily, Silandra would be glad to join in, but as it was she was beyond exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to sleep.

She cleaned herself off as well as she could using the basin and water provided, though she would have preferred a real bath. At least there was a mirror. She almost died upon first looking into it when she saw how _dirty_ she was. Imoen had done a good job on her hair, but there were a few stray leaves in it, and her dress was filthy from lying in that thicket overnight. It was ruined anyway, what with the hole in the sleeve where she'd been burned, and she considered throwing it away.

However, she only had two more with her, and who knew what else she'd go through on her way to Nashkel? She resigned herself to keeping the ruined dress, at least for now, She left it on the floor and climbed into one of the two beds. It was about as comfortable as her bed back at Candlekeep, and she relaxed with a sigh of contentment. She would have drifted off immediately, if not for the faintest sound outside her door. She sat up, double-checking she'd locked it.

Even as she watched, the latch began to lift. It was slow though – not the quick click caused by someone using a key. Not knowing what else to do, Silandra crawled under her bed. She waited silently in the darkness, trying to keep her breathing steady.

The door opened slowly, barely making a sound, and the room was momentarily brightened by the glow of the lanterns in the hall. When the door closed once again, Silandra could tell that she was no longer alone. Whoever had entered her room was obviously trying to be quiet, but she could hear their light footsteps as they headed towards her bed. Her first thought was that Gorion's murderer had come back for her, but then she saw the hem of the intruder's robes. She didn't exactly breathe a sigh of relief – either way, this person clearly didn't have good intentions or they would have knocked.

She knew she had to do something. If this person was looking for her, checking under the bed seemed an obvious step. She wished she at least had her dagger, but she'd left it on her nightstand in her panic. If she could just make it out of the room, she could summon her friends. She waited until the intruder was right next to her bed before making her move.

She rolled out quickly and shot sparks in the direction of the person's face, not even stopping to see the effect before running to the door. She heard a man's voice cursing before he began to mutter a spell, which only served to singe the door as it fell closed behind her.

She ran towards the stairs, glancing behind her when she heard the door open once again. She didn't get far before she was stopped abruptly by someone grabbing her arms. Fearing the worst, she tried to twist away even as she gazed up at her captor. She was surprised to see that it was only a young man, scarcely older than herself from the looks of him. He was as startled as she was, but there was no time for that. He wore armor and carried a sword and shield, so she looked into his eyes and willed him to help her.

He immediately pulled her behind him and raised his shield just in time to absorb three magic missiles, fired in quick succession.

Now that she had someone to fight for her, Silandra felt it was safe to take a moment to look at her attacker. He was a rather plain-looking man, though probably a competent enough mage. She gazed worriedly at the young man she'd charmed into fighting for her, unsure of his chances. He drew his sword and began to advance on the mage, who cast a mirror image spell, causing replicas of himself to appear beside him.

The armored man took a swing, but his sword hit nothing but air and one of the illusions fizzled away. The mage was beginning another spell, but he looked concerned now. Obviously this had not been part of his plan.

Just as Silandra was thinking she should go and get help, she heard heavy footsteps hurrying up the stairs, and the next moment a pair of guards appeared, followed by Imoen, Khalid and Jaheira. Their presence was not needed, however – the armored man's next strike had struck the mage squarely across the chest, interrupting whatever spell he'd begun and spraying the hall with blood.

Silandra released the young man from her charm, and only then realized that her hold on him had been weak, probably because she was so low on energy. She'd influenced him just enough to spur him into action but hadn't made him do anything he wouldn't have otherwise. She immediately felt bad, and it was even worse when he turned, looking a little bewildered, and she saw the holy symbol around his neck. She'd just charmed a paladin of Helm.

"What's going on here?" said the first guard, a gruff older man. "No fighting is allowed within these walls!"

The paladin's eyes were now on Silandra, though thankfully he looked more confused than angry. She spoke quickly, not wanting him to get into trouble on her account.

"He was only defending me," she said. "That other man – the wizard – he broke into my room and tried to kill me."

The guard looked at her, but didn't say anything. He seemed uncomfortable. His companion, a much younger man, was blushing, and now the paladin was too. He tore his gaze away from Silandra, instead turning to look at the man he'd killed.

"For heaven's sake, Silandra, cover yourself!" Jaheira commanded.

Beside her, Khalid appeared to be very interested in the walls.

Silandra looked down at herself, confused. While she would prefer to sleep in nothing, she'd given into Gorion's insistence that she wear a nightgown. It was short and thin, but it covered the 'important parts', as Imoen would say. Besides, her hair was unbound and it alone could conceal her well enough as far as she was concerned.

"I _am_ covered!" she cried. She'd never understood why people apparently had such shame in their bodies, and she didn't think her state of dress was an appropriate thing to worry about at a time like this.

Imoen, who seemed to find this hilarious despite the dead man lying just a few feet away, wrapped her cloak around Silandra.

"Everyone relax; Sil's decent again," she said with a snigger.

The guards seemed to realize they'd been staring. The younger one began searching the mage's pockets, while the other turned to the paladin.

"Your name?" he asked.

"Ajantis Ilvastarr. I deeply regret having killed a man in the keep, but he _was _pursuing this lady, and he was obviously evil."

"You're a paladin?"

"Yes. I am on a quest to earn my right to become a full-fledged member of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart. I understand this is a troubled region of late, and I intend to help."

Silandra wasn't sure what one paladin would be able to do, especially one so young, but it was a noble enough quest she supposed. She caught Jaheira rolling her eyes at his words.

"Here you go," said the younger guard, finishing his search of the dead man. "A bounty notice. He was an assassin alright. You're lucky Ajantis here came along when he did."

"Let me see that," Jaheira said.

The guard looked about to protest, but Jaheira snatched the parchment from his hand.

"You'll all have to give statements in the morning," the older guard said.

"We have to leave in the morning," said Jaheira brusquely, still reading.

"Jaheira, I understand you're friends with Bentley, but –"

Jaheira shoved the bounty notice into his hands. "But nothing. We are expected in Nashkel. Bentley _will_ understand. Just show him this."

"Let me see!" said Silandra.

"This is evidence," the guard said.

"If someone has put a bounty on my head then I deserve to see it!" Silandra cried.

The guard relented, and Silandra read the notice, shocked to see that she was apparently worth two hundred gold pieces. The description of her was too accurate – it even identified her as half-nymph.

"Oh," she said, returning the 'evidence'. "But… who? And _why_?"

"We will find out," said Jaheira. "For now, you need to sleep. We should be away from this place early tomorrow; there may be others searching for you here."

"We'll set guards here tonight as a precaution," said the older guard. "You _will_ need to at least speak with Bentley before you leave. You too, Ajantis."

"Fine," Jaheira snapped. "I'll speak with him now, for I know him well enough not to expect him to rise before we set out."

The paladin, who'd been all but forgotten until that moment, took a hesitant step forward.

"Of course, I'll help however I can," he said. "If you don't mind me asking, what is your purpose in Nashkel? That is where the tainted iron comes from, is it not?"

Jaheira eyed him sternly for a moment before answering. "Yes. We are investigating the iron crisis."

"It seems our goals align," said Ajantis. "Perhaps I could go with you?"

Jaheira actually looked she might be about to refuse, so Silandra spoke quickly. "Of course," she said. "We could use your help. Besides, we couldn't possibly turn you away after you saved my life. I am in your debt."

"Oh, that was… it was nothing," Ajantis said, his face reddening once again. "It is my duty to protect innocents from evil. I am glad you are safe, my lady."

He didn't even seem to notice he'd been charmed. Silandra was relieved, but she still felt a little bad about it all the same. Still, she wasn't sure if he'd have reacted fast enough without it.

Jaheira rubbed her temples and sighed. "Fine. We leave at first light. Now off to bed. You too, Imoen, it's late enough."

Imoen looked disappointed, but Silandra was glad not to have to return to her room alone. She couldn't help but glance at the dead assassin as they passed. The paladin's blow had killed him instantly and cut deep, almost deep enough to slice him in two, and the sight was unpleasant. Regardless, she found it hard to pull her gaze away from the bloody mess. The man had deserved to die, though she would have liked to find out where he'd got the bounty notice from and that may be difficult now.

Imoen wanted to talk about what had just happened, and Silandra did too, but she was far too tired for that at the moment. There'd be plenty of time on their way to Nashkel. She didn't relish the thought of being on the road again, though surely after a while her body would get used to it. At least, she hoped so. She'd never expected traveling to be so difficult.


	4. Chapter 4

Silandra had expected to feel refreshed after sleeping in an actual bed, but her body still ached. Of course, she could have stood to sleep for a few hours more, but Jaheira had meant it when she said she wanted to leave at first light. She'd knocked on the girls' door when it was still dark and practically dragged them out of bed when they didn't move as quickly as she wanted.

Ajantis was already waiting for them downstairs, but Montaron and Xzar were missing and the woman at the bar couldn't say what room they were in.

"We don't have time for this," said Jaheira. "Either they appear before we finish eating or we leave without them."

"No," said Silandra, surprising even herself with her force. "We will wait for them. It wouldn't be right to just leave without saying anything."

"We'll leave them a note," Jaheira said, crossing her arms.

"We'll at least wait until breakfast is served," said Silandra.

This earned a vigorous nod from Imoen, who had been most dismayed to find that their food options were limited so early in the morning. The day's bread wasn't done baking, though the smell flooded the inn, so they had the stale remnants from the day before, accompanied by eggs and salted pork. Silandra herself never ate a lot, nor was she particularly picky about her food, but Imoen considered meals the most important events of the day.

"That will be another hour!" Jaheira said. "We cannot wait that long. I thought you were considering leaving them anyway."

"Well, yes," Silandra admitted. "But I was going to talk to them about it, not just disappear. And after last night… perhaps it would be better to keep them around."

"We can protect you well enough," said Jaheira. "In fact, your safety is probably more at risk with those two tagging along."

"Monty _does_ seem the type who'd be interested in the bounty," Imoen said reluctantly. "We were careful not to tell him about it last night."

"He doesn't have to know about it," Silandra said.

"Know 'bout what? What bounty?" came the halfling's gruff voice.

Montaron and Xzar had finally made their appearance, and Silandra sighed.

"There's no time to explain," she said. "You two are late and now Jaheira's mad. Get some food quickly and then we're leaving."

"Listen, girly, if there be a bounty on yer head…" Montaron began, advancing on Silandra, his hand dangerously close to his sword.

Ajantis stood and moved to stand beside Silandra. "That's close enough," he said.

"Knowledge can be the difference between livin' an' dying'," Montaron said, though he stopped moving.

"Oh Monty, leave the nymph alone," Xzar said. "'Tis a long way to Nashkel, and we _are _late. We are ever so sorry to hold up the group. Let us proceed forthwith."

"You've already eaten?" Jaheira asked skeptically. "We're not stopping until midday."

"We're capable of eatin' an' walkin'," Montaron said. "Let's go."

He and Xzar headed out the door. Silandra glanced at Imoen, who was the only one still eating.

"Sorry Imoen, guess we're not waiting," she said.

"We'll stop in Beregost right?" Imoen asked, standing reluctantly with the last of her bread.

"Yes, we will need to visit the smith," said Jaheira. "I doubt we'll stay long."

Upon leaving the inn, Silandra saw that the first few rays of sun were just beginning to brighten the sky. As she admired the colors, she wondered if she'd ever get to stay anywhere long enough to actually enjoy it. The Friendly Arm Inn may be interesting to explore, but it was small compared to a town like Beregost. She'd read of it in her history books and wouldn't mind the chance to look around. It was also where Firebead Elvenhair lived, though she didn't expect he'd be back from Candlekeep yet. She made a mental note to visit at a later date if she could, for he may be able to tell her if Hull had ever found out anything about the assassin he'd apprehended. It didn't seem likely that multiple people wanted her dead – it was shocking enough that _anyone_ did – so she thought that there was likely a connection between all the men who'd tried to kill her.

Montaron and Xzar took the lead, chewing on rations from their packs, with Khalid and Jaheira following closely – likely to keep an eye on them. Imoen and Ajantis followed, while Silandra brought up the rear. She was contemplating how quickly her circumstances had changed. Only a few days ago she'd been safe in Candlekeep – safe but bored – and now she was on the road with a group of strangers, Gorion was gone and someone wanted her dead. She wasn't yet sure if her path to adventure had been worth it.

She tried to shift her bag into a more comfortable position upon her back. It was heavier thanks to the extra rations Jaheira had made her buy. Imoen now carried a tent for the two to share, but she seemed to carry the extra weight well enough.

"My lady, are you alright?" Ajantis asked, falling into step beside her.

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you," Silandra said. She wasn't sure why he'd taken to calling her that, but she wasn't about to complain. "I'm not used to traveling yet, that's all."

"Your friends and I did not have much time to get to know one another last night, what with Bentley's interrogation, but Imoen told me the two of you grew up in Candlekeep and only left recently. You must have had an interesting childhood."

"In some ways, I suppose. I like to read, so I did enjoy being around so many books. Otherwise, it was actually quite boring. There were very few children around when I was growing up, and I was never allowed to leave the keep. But I only lost my foster father the other night and I'd rather not speak of home right now."

Ajantis looked immediately crestfallen. "Forgive me, my lady. Your friends did not tell me."

"It's alright. But it's the reason I'm here now. Why don't you tell me something about your journey so far?"

Ajantis seemed happy enough to talk about himself. Although he spent most of his time in the Amnian city of Athkatla, where the Radiant Heart were stationed, his family hailed from Waterdeep and he'd just returned from a rare visit. He needed to prove himself to the Order before he could be knighted, and he thought ridding the Sword Coast of their iron problem may make him worthy. He'd not made it very far – Baldur's Gate was closed to almost everyone due to the increased bandit activity – so his first chance at real information had been the Friendly Arm Inn. There, a woman had implored him for help getting her ring back from a group of hobgoblins who'd stolen it, and that is where he'd returned from on the night he saved her.

"It's a good thing I met you and your friends," he said. "I think this is a task that is best pursued with allies."

"It's a good thing for me that you were there," Silandra said. She hesitated a moment, wondering if she should bring it up at all. "Look, I'm really sorry I charmed you. I just didn't know if you'd help me otherwise, and –"

"What do you mean?" Ajantis asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

"I'm pretty sure you were just going to stand there staring at me if I hadn't given you a push."

"Oh. That was you? I just… I thought… never mind."

"What is it? You're not angry?"

"I thought maybe that was Helm flooding me with such purpose. But it's alright. And I… suppose I'm not angry. You didn't make me act against my will."

"I won't do it again. Gorion always said it was an invasion, and now that I can control it better I really should try."

"You'll still use it to get me outta trouble if I need it, right?" Imoen said, abruptly appearing between them.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Silandra said. "You could just try _not_ getting into trouble."

"But you did it for me back home! And how am I supposed to resist when we're probably gonna see all kinds of people, with all kinds of interesting things in their pockets?"

Ajantis looked aghast. "Imoen, you cannot be serious!" he said.

Only then did Imoen seem to register that perhaps a paladin wasn't the kind of person to regale in picking pockets. She looked a little disheartened, just for a moment, before perking back up. "Don't worry, I used the money to feed er… starving children!"

"But I thought there weren't many children in Candlekeep," Ajantis said.

"Yeah, I mean, I sent it away!" Imoen said earnestly. "To orphans!"

"No matter how charitable your intentions, it's going to be a lot more dangerous if you get caught out here," Silandra said. "I'm not always going to be there to save you. You should probably stop."

"Or I've just gotta get better!" Imoen said, smiling widely and running ahead to Montaron and Xzar.

"She's not serious, is she?" Ajantis asked.

"I hope not," Silandra said. "She's my best friend though so please don't kill her if you catch her stealing."

"I wouldn't!" Ajantis said, eyes wide.

Silandra smiled, amused that he'd taken her seriously. "Just don't pay too much attention to her when we're around people. Out of sight, out of mind."

Ajantis gave her an awkward smile and returned his gaze to the road.

Silandra decided to catch up with Jaheira and find out more about her plans for their journey. She wasn't sure she liked letting someone else be in charge. When she and Imoen had talked about the adventures they'd have one day, they had always been the ones deciding where to go and what to do. But she couldn't deny that Jaheira was far better equipped to lead for the moment. When Silandra felt a little more worldly… then she may reevaluate the situation.

Surprisingly, it seemed Jaheira wasn't planning on pushing the group to their limits.

"We _could_ reach Beregost by evening, but only if we move quickly and rest little," said Jaheira. "You and Imoen are both unused to travel and stand to injure yourselves if you push too hard. We will take lunch in a few hours and camp in the afternoon. That way, we can arrive in Beregost at a reasonable time tomorrow and do some shopping."

"I can't say I'm not relieved, but I thought you were in a hurry to get to Nashkel," Silandra said.

"Nashkel can wait a day or two," said Jaheira. "I was more concerned about getting you away from the Friendly Arm. I doubt that man was the only one who received that bounty notice."

"So maybe we can stay in Beregost a night and _not_ have to wake up quite so early? I'd really like to look around a little."

"This is not some leisure stroll, Silandra," Jaheira said. "We are on a mission."

"P-perhaps we could s-stay a little while," Khalid said. "I for one w-would like to see F-Firebead."

"Firebead Elvenhair?" Silandra said. "You know him?"

Khali's eyes widened in surprise. "Er, y-yes. He is an old f-f-friend."

"He visits Candlekeep sometimes. He's always been nice to me. I'd like to visit him too, but he'd just arrived before I left and if he stays the full ten days then he won't be home yet."

"Oh," Khalid said. "W-well we can always visit the t-temple."

"I see what you're doing, Khalid," Jaheira said, but for once her tone was soft. "We can stay a night and leave mid-morning."

Silandra smiled in thanks to Khalid and continued walking with a little more vigor than before.

* * *

Their journey was peaceful, for a while. They didn't encounter anyone else on the road, which Jaheira commented on as being unusual. The worse the bandit raids got, the less people dared to travel. Silandra spoke with Khalid and Jaheira for a while, likely just asking the same questions Imoen had the night before, but they answered happily enough. While Khalid was a skilled swordsman, Jaheira was a druid, and they spent most of their time traveling and investigating problems such as the iron crisis.

They were looking for a good spot to camp for the night when Montaron spotted something. Later, Silandra felt validated in her decision to travel with him and Xzar, because she wasn't sure anyone else would have picked up on it.

"'Ere, stop a minute," he said in a low voice, his eyes on something at his feet. "Seems there was a struggle here. Looks recent."

Khalid and Jaheira were immediately on guard, but it was evident they still didn't trust Montaron for they didn't go too close to him to check what he'd seen. Silandra took a few steps closer to Ajantis, hoping he'd defend her again if necessary. She peered into the wilderness on either side, but the brush was thick here, making visibility difficult.

Montaron crept towards the edge of the path, alternating between looking at the ground and ahead. Xzar appeared unconcerned and stayed by the halfling's side.

"Wait here," Montaron said, and darted into the bushes.

Khalid and Jaheira exchanged a look, but evidently decided to listen and stay put. There were a few moments of silence, during which Silandra felt herself grow more and more nervous, and then Montaron reappeared.

"Group of bandits down there," he said. "Raided a caravan; they're still lootin' it. We can take 'em."

"How many?" Jaheira asked.

"Ten. But I can take down a couple. Any of you got some kinda spell ter help?"

"Oh, I can cast a sleep spell!" Silandra said. Despite the danger, she felt excitement creeping up on her at the prospect of doing something useful.

"I thought you couldn't do that one right yet," Imoen said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I've got it," said Silandra. "I can put most of them to sleep and then we can just fight the rest."

"I dunno…" Montaron said.

"I approve wholeheartedly," Xzar said. "It'll be just like a sleepover. Go on, do it!"

Silandra glanced at Jaheira, knowing hers was the approval she really needed. With a sigh, the druid gave a curt nod.

Silandra felt a kind of nervous anticipation as she followed Montaron off the path. The others trailed a safe distance behind, ready to dispatch the remaining bandits after her spell. Many of the bushes here had been trampled by the caravan's passage, but there were still enough standing to tug at her dress. She couldn't bring herself to care just now. She moved slowly down a steep incline, and the bandits soon came into view – ten of them as Montaron had said. They were all dressed in the same worn leathers, but some held bows while others were armed with short swords or daggers. One was serving as a very poor scout, more intent on whittling a piece of wood with his dagger than paying attention to his surroundings.

The others were rummaging through the caravan's contents, and some through the pockets of the occupants. Silandra's eagerness was dampened slightly when she saw the bodies. A small group of nobles, judging by their clothing, and their guards. If such a well-defended caravan could fall prey to these bandits then they were a grave threat indeed. She took a deep breath and waited for Montaron's signal.

The scout went down without a sound, blood gushing from his throat. Those remaining didn't notice, but they would soon. Now she just had to try and hit them with her spell. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus her mind. Then she opened them and began casting, quietly enough that she hoped her targets wouldn't hear.

Moments later, the area was brightened by a golden light, and five of the bandits stumbled and fell to the ground, some snoring loudly already. Those still standing drew their weapons and looked around, bewildered. They also appeared to be sparkling with some kind of golden dust. Silandra didn't have time to contemplate that further, for one of the bandits had seen her and was coming her way. She darted back to her companions and fell behind them.

Khalid and Ajantis ran forward to engage the men, while Jaheira and Imoen fired bullets and arrows from a distance. Silandra noted that Khalid fought fearlessly, despite how shy he seemed about speaking. She'd been a little worried about his competence though hadn't dared voice those doubts in front of Jaheira. He cut down one of the men easily in time to deflect a blow from a second with his shield.

Montaron ran another bandit through from behind before he knew what was happening, and Xzar finished the man by strangling him, his hands engulfed in an icy blue glow.

The four men were soon dead and Silandra was glad to see that her companions were unharmed. Additionally, she was elated at how successful her spell had been. She was sure the encounter may not have gone so well without it.

She walked towards the ruined caravan, keeping her distance from the sleeping bandits just in case. She noticed that one was a woman – it hadn't been immediately obvious; they'd all looked so similar. She was young – perhaps her own age, or even younger – and Silandra wondered what drove someone like her to such a life.

Just as she was wondering what to do with the sleeping bandits, Montaron walked up to the nearest one and slit his throat.

"What are you doing?" she asked, eyes wide in shock.

"What's it look like I'm doin?" Montaron growled, heading to his next target.

"This may seem harsh, Silandra, but we can't just leave these people to wake and continue their terror," said Jaheira reluctantly. "Even if we were to take them all the way to Beregost, they would be hung for their crimes."

"I don't like it either. This is dishonorable, but she does speak the truth," Ajantis said, eying Montaron with distaste.

Silandra regretted her outburst already. Of course, these people were murderers – their latest victims were staining this very ground with their blood. She wasn't upset by the deaths of those who'd resisted her spell, so why should she care in which manner the other bandits were killed?

"I think this guy was important," Imoen said, kneeling beside one of the dead nobles.

Silandra looked at the man, who was dressed in finery exceeding that of his companions. He was young, too – perhaps only a few years older than her. He'd been stabbed through the abdomen and finished with a cut to his throat.

"Were you going through his pockets?" Silandra asked, frowning.

"Only lookin' for something to identify him!" Imoen replied. "Though it's not like he can use his gold now anyway. Oh look, here."

She held up a letter, already unfolding it and beginning to read.

"He's a Silvershield," she said, somewhat in awe. "Must be related to the duke."

"I didn't expect you to be familiar with the dukes of Baldur's Gate," said Silandra. Imoen had always done her best to get out of her lessons, particularly when they revolved around history and politics.

"I had to know who'd have the best stuff if I ever got to visit," Imoen said. "I bet this is his son, Eddard Silvershield."

"I know the name," Jaheira said. "He is indeed Entar Silvershield's son. There'll be a reckoning for this. Give me that; we will have to turn it in to the authorities."

There wasn't much gold to be found; Silandra suspected Montaron had pocketed most of it while she and the others had been distracted by the duke's son. She wondered if they could send a letter to Baldur's Gate to inform him – but then she questioned whether messengers were even still operating. If a caravan with armed guards could fall to the bandits then surely a lone courier would stand no chance. She knew Gorion used to have some magical means of sending and receiving messages, but he'd never explained it to her. Perhaps there was a mage in Beregost who could help.

There was some discussion as to what should be done with the bodies. Ajantis wanted to bury them, but Jaheira said it would be better to tell the Beregost authorities and let them handle it. Besides, they had to stop soon and make camp for the night, and they needed to put the carnage a good distance behind.

Instead, Ajantis settled for praying over the bodies, and Jaheira made a request to Silvanus, the Oak Father, to watch over the fallen men until they could be interred properly.

They then made haste down the road, though all were more wary than before. There could very well be another ambush. Finally, they reached a small clearing off the road which Jaheira said would suffice for a campsite.

Imoen and Silandra struggled with their tent, but Ajantis helped, and soon Khalid had a fire going and everyone was able to relax. Imoen settled beside Xzar with her rations. Silandra could only assume she was trying to find out more about his magic. She wished there was a more… wholesome example for her to talk to. If only she herself had got further in her studies, she may be able to help.

"Right," said Montaron. "Yer goin' to tell me all 'bout this bounty on the girl's head. Thought that tale 'bout a drunk attackin' 'er was horseshit."

"You know as much as is necessary," Jaheira said, folding her arms and glaring at him.

Khalid sat beside her, looking between the two nervously, but he didn't say anything.

"If someone wants 'er dead then there's a good chance they'll be comin' after us too so I think it's _necessary_ ter know as much as possible."

"For all we know you're after the bounty and that's why you're traveling with her to begin with!"

"If'n I wanted the bounty she'd be dead already!"

Silandra looked at Xzar apprehensively, worried a real fight may break out, but he didn't even look like he was paying attention. He and Imoen were reading what had to be his spellbook. She cringed as she thought about what kind of things a mad necromancer may have in there.

"Montaron, Jaheira, stop," she said. "Since this bounty is about _me_, I think _I _will decide who needs to know what. And I do think I have to side with Montaron on this one."

Jaheira huffed and opened her mouth to speak, but Silandra held up her hand.

"I'm not done," she said. "Montaron, yes, an assassin tried to kill me last night. Someone put a bounty on my head. I hope two hundred gold isn't enough for you to want to kill me."

"Got more'n that from those dead nobles," Montaron said.

"That money belongs to Entar Silvershield!" Ajantis cried.

"That is not important right now," said Silandra.

"Why would someone want _you_ dead?" Montaron asked.

"I don't know," said Silandra. "But if someone else does try to kill me, let's keep them alive for questioning, alright? Is everyone going to stop arguing now?"

"I question your judgement, Silandra," said Jaheira stiffly. "You cannot trust everyone you meet on the road. Luckily for you, Khalid and I will be here to keep an eye on these two."

"Fine, watch them all you want," Silandra said. Suddenly the long day was catching up with her and she found she just wanted to get some rest. "Montaron, please be… pleasant."

Montaron chuckled darkly but didn't say anything. That was probably the best she'd get out of him.

"I'm getting some sleep," she said. "Wake me if there's trouble."

She retired to the tent she was sharing with Imoen, but she didn't try sleeping until she was sure things were under control outside. Instead she studied her spellbook, trying to work out why on earth her sleep spell had created _sparkles_.

* * *

_**Note:**_

_In my mind, the missing Silvershield son is named Eddard, but it seems this was put in the game as part of the Unfinished Business mod. I decided to go with it since I'd feel weird naming him anything else at this point._


	5. Chapter 5

When they finally arrived in Beregost the next day, everyone was in good spirits – all except Montaron, of course, but he was never particularly cheerful. They'd encountered no further danger on the road and since they'd only traveled half the day they still had energy to spare. What's more, they were in time for a midday meal at an inn, and Beregost had four to choose from.

"I recommend the Burning Wizard," Jaheira said. "The food is good and we'll be able to get rooms for a reasonable price."

"We got a bunch of gold from those bandits though!" Imoen said.

"How much?" Silandra asked, frowning. "I thought Montaron took most of it."

Montaron didn't try to defend himself. He just glared at her as if daring her to challenge him.

"As I said before, that gold should go to Entar Silvershield," Ajantis said, glowering at the halfling.

"His son's dead, don't think he'll care 'bout a li'l gold," said Montaron. "Finders keepers. The wizard and I've got errands ter run. We're off."

"Make sure you're at the Burning Wizard for breakfast tomorrow morning," Silandra said. "We are not waiting for you again."

Although the two had already begun walking away, she was sure they'd heard her, but they didn't acknowledge her words. She wasn't used to being ignored and she didn't like it.

She found it hard to concentrate on where she was walking as they passed the small farmhouses on the outskirts and headed into the village proper. There were actual cobbled streets, unlike the dirt paths that were used throughout Candlekeep, and she saw all manner of interesting-looking stores. She was so engrossed in a lovely dress in one window that she almost bumped into a woman lugging a heavy-looking sack of fruit, but Imoen grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

"Hey you, watch where yer goin'!" she said. "I know this seems big compared to back home but it's still not a real city. Just wait'll ya see Baldur's Gate!"

"I thought you didn't remember that," Silandra said.

"Well, not _very_ well," said Imoen. "I was too young. But there were heaps of people everywhere! I kept gettin' lost."

"You traveled, whilst Silandra was not allowed?" Ajantis asked.

"Oh I never got out neither once I arrived," said Imoen. "I didn't really grow up in Candlekeep. I got there when I was ten or so. Afore that I was on the road. It was fun, but kinda dangerous I guess."

"I… see," said Ajantis. Perhaps he wanted to know more but was worried it would be another sad tale like Silandra's.

They reached the Burning Wizard, marked by a wooden sign depicting a golden sun on a fading blue background. It wasn't as busy as the Friendly Arm had been, but perhaps most of their patrons came in the evenings.

While Jaheira was at the bar ordering food, Silandra glanced at Khalid and found herself wondering what their story was. Jaheira was so loud and assertive while Khalid barely spoke if he could help it and seemed afraid of everything. Except when they'd fought those bandits. He'd fought just as well as Ajantis, if not better due to experience.

"So, Khalid," Silandra said, "how did you and Jaheira meet?"

Khalid's eyes widened. He clearly hadn't expected the question. He looked over at Jaheira, but she was facing the other way.

"W-well," he began slowly, "w-we were w-working together. And, um…"

"Yes?" Silandra asked, leaning forward.

"I… well, honestly I c-c-can't really tell you… our m-mission was s-secret."

"It _was_ secret, so it's not anymore!" Imoen said. "And anyway, you can trust us!"

"I d-don't think it's a g-good idea." Khalid paused a moment, then continued, quieter than before. "All I'll say is… she saved my life."

"That's so romantic," Imoen said with a sigh.

"What's romantic?" Jaheira asked, taking a seat beside her husband.

"You saving Khalid's life," Silandra said.

"Hmm," Jaheira said, glancing at Khalid fondly. "I hope you didn't tell them too much."

"Of c-course not!" Khalid responded.

"Good. Because you know we'd have to kill them if you did."

Silandra couldn't tell how serious Jaheira was – from what she'd seen so far, she wasn't the type to tell jokes. Regardless, she decided to leave it for the moment. "I take it you're heading to the blacksmith this afternoon?" she asked.

"We are _all_ going to the blacksmith," Jaheira said. "It may be unwise to split up."

"But I don't need anything from there," said Silandra. "I saw a few shops I'd like to look at."

"I could go with you," said Ajantis. "I don't need anything at the moment."

"How about that, Jaheira? I won't be alone."

"I suppose it should be safe enough in daylight," Jaheira said. She drew the Silvershield letter from her pack. "You're responsible for finding a Flaming Fist officer and giving them this. Tell them you found Eddard Silvershield's body. It would probably be wise to avoid mentioning we found the bandits responsible, since we can't return all the gold."

Jaheira didn't look particularly pleased about that, and Silandra knew Ajantis wasn't, but she saw the sense in it.

After their midday meal they headed their separate ways. Truth be told, Silandra didn't think she was going to buy anything in any of the stores she'd seen. She didn't want to spend what little money she had on anything that wasn't strictly necessary. But she had to seize the opportunity to explore.

Silandra and Ajantis decided they'd better find someone to take the letter first, but they took their time walking to the town center. After all, the others would probably take a good hour or so at the blacksmith.

"Is there something you're looking to buy today?" Ajantis asked.

"Nothing in particular," said Silandra. "I just didn't want to sit around at the blacksmith when I could be exploring instead. I've never been in such a big town before."

"You don't want to look at spells?"

"I have enough in my book to last a while. Oh look, maybe she's an officer."

Silandra indicated a tall woman in plate armor holding a shield with the Fist's insignia emblazoned on it. She was standing with a man wearing chain and they appeared to be having a serious conversation.

"Excuse me," said Silandra as she approached, a little nervous about interrupting.

"Yes, citizen?" the woman asked briskly, though she didn't look angry.

"Are you an officer? We have something to report," said Silandra.

"I'm Officer Vai," the woman replied. "What is it?"

Silandra handed her the letter. "We found Eddard Silvershield's body north of town. It looks like bandits attacked his caravan. He had this on him, a letter from his sister."

Officer Vai winced and exchanged a glance with her companion, though neither looked surprised. She took a deep breath before replying. "I thank you for reporting this sad news. These damned bandits… Can't even get back into the city because of them. You know what, you look like adventuring types. If you can bring me proof of every bandit you've killed – their scalps perhaps – I'll pay you for them. My contingent and I are staying at the Jovial Juggler."

Silandra wrinkled her nose, though she did like being considered an 'adventuring type'. "Scalps?"

"Barbaric, but I understand why you'd want proof," said Ajantis. "Do you need anything else from us?"

"I should probably take your names, just in case," the woman said, pulling out a small notebook and quill – the magic kind that didn't need ink.

"Ajantis Ilvastarr, squire paladin of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart," said Ajantis proudly.

"Silandra. Of, uh… Candlekeep," said Silandra, wishing she had some fancy title or, at the very least, a last name.

Soon they took their leave of the soldiers and headed on their way. Silandra was still disgusted at the concept of scalping people, even if they were bandits, but she suspected Montaron would be up for that gruesome task.

"She seemed stressed," she said. "The bandits must be getting pretty bad."

"We should look for their base after we are finished with the Nashkel mine," said Ajantis. "I cannot bear to see these poor people suffer."

"Oh, look here!" Silandra cried. They were outside one of the other inns and there was a piece of parchment nailed to the wall. "Silke Rosena, the famous bard is playing here at Feldepost's Inn tonight," she read. "I haven't heard of her but perhaps it would be fun."

"You enjoy the arts?"

"Oh yes. I particularly love music. Imoen does too. She'll be so excited."

"I'm not sure Jaheira is the type to enjoy music."

Silandra laughed, the first time she could remember doing so since leaving Candlekeep. "I agree, but she can't stop me from going. She and Khalid can remain at the Burning Wizard if they want. You'd escort Imoen and I, right?"

Ajantis reddened slightly. "Of course, my lady. I wouldn't mind seeing Miss Rosena play myself."

"It will be nice to do something interesting that doesn't involve danger. Adventuring seemed so glamorous when I read stories about it back home, but so far it's nothing like that."

"No, I wouldn't call it glamorous. But it is worth doing. You'll understand, the first time you help someone in a way only an adventurer can. It's a good feeling."

Silandra smiled as she thought of all the people she'd rescue from monsters, all the crypts she'd cleanse of undead. It _would_ be a good feeling.

* * *

Imoen wasn't having much luck with the armor she'd been trying on.

"This is too stiff!" she complained. She hadn't expected that. The leather felt as though it would cut right through her clothing and into her skin.

"This is what you can afford," said Jaheira. "You'll get used to it and it will soften with wear anyway."

"Maybe Sil should wear some too," said Imoen. "Why should I be the only one to suffer?"

"Silandra is a mage," said Jaheira. "She cannot cast spells while wearing armor, at least not any kind that can be bought here."

"She's a sorceress," said Imoen. "That's different."

"Regardless, my statement stands." Jaheira adjusted a few straps, causing Imoen to yelp.

"That's tight enough!" she said.

"You'll get this one," said Jaheira. "Taerom, thank you for your patience. We have decided."

"I didn't decide anything!" Imoen complained.

Jaheira ignored her and Imoen sighed. The armor looked nice enough, she supposed, even if it was plain brown leather rather than pink. She just had to get rich, and then maybe she could get something better. There was a particularly nice set of pure black armor on display, and she'd been immediately drawn to that. It looked softer than the leather tunic she was wearing, and it would come in handy for sneaking. She'd almost died when she found out the price.

Soon the armor was purchased, as well as some arrows and a new sword for Khalid – his previous one was showing signs of rust, despite only having had it a few weeks. Apparently many items made from iron were not very durable these days due to whatever was happening to the iron coming out of the Nashkel mine.

"Alright, back to the Burning Wizard," said Jaheira.

"But it's not time for dinner!" Imoen said. She wanted a chance to look around and was a little jealous of Silandra for being able to do so instead of spending what felt like forever at the blacksmith.

"Yes, we still have some time, but Silandra and Ajantis are probably bored and waiting for us."

"Oh, I doubt they're bored," said Imoen. "They are _made_ for each other. She's the most beautiful and he's the most handsome."

"The most handsome?" Jaheira repeated, eyebrow raised.

"I haven't seen many men my age, okay?" said Imoen. "Most handsome I've seen. There. Can we at least take some long way back? Sil's probably got to see all kinds of cool stuff while I was stuck in there."

"I suppose it can't hurt," said Jaheira. "But it will only be a _short_ detour."

Imoen knew that was as good as she'd get, so she made the most of it by intentionally walking slowly. That was hard for her, but she could manage when there was a good enough reason. She saw a few stores she wouldn't mind looking at, but she knew Jaheira wasn't going to stop for that, especially if she knew how Imoen intended on procuring the items she was interested in. Sure, she had a bit of gold now, but she was far from rich and would rather not spend it if she didn't have to.

"Hey, you!"

Imoen and her companions glanced around, looking for the source of the voice. A young woman with pale pink hair was running towards them. She wore a mage robe and held a quarterstaff, but she looked too frazzled to be dangerous.

"Yes, you!" the woman cried when she was met with no response. "I don't see anyone else around here. A little help please?"

"Who are you and what do you want?" Jaheira demanded.

"I'm Neera. I'm being chased by bandits!" the woman said. "Vicious, magic bandits! And – oh goodness, they're here!"

There was a glimmer of magic in the air in front of them and Neera darted behind Khalid and Jaheira just as four men emerged from the portal. Two were obviously wizards, the others perhaps their bodyguards. They were all wearing the same color – a beautiful vivid red. Kind of classy, Imoen thought, though not as nice as pink.

The villagers in the area shrieked and made themselves scarce. One of the red-robed men stepped forward. He had a fancy cape to match so maybe he was more important than the others.

"So, you would try to hide behind these unfortunate fools?" he asked. "Your cowardice proves as deadly as your reckless magic."

Khalid drew his sword, looking more nervous than usual, and Jaheira's grip tightened on her quarterstaff. "Red Wizards," she murmured. "Excellent."

Imoen felt some of the blood drain from her face. She may not read much but she did know that the Red Wizards of Thay were evil and dangerous. And here she'd just thought these men had matching outfits. She drew her bow.

"I don't know what exactly you want so I'd rather not let you capture me," Neera cried. "Get out of here before me and my new friends decide to inject a fist into your mouth!"

"You there!" the wizard said, glaring at Jaheira. Somehow, he just knew she was the one in charge. "Stand aside and give me the girl. Surely you won't risk your life for a stranger?"

"Why are you after this woman?" Jaheira demanded.

"We must study her anomalous powers!" the wizard replied, his voice rising in pitch until it sounded almost feminine. He seemed a little unhinged – kind of like Xzar.

"By 'study' I assume you mean 'dissect'?" Jaheira asked. "I know what your kind are like. You will not harm her."

"Harm her? You should be more concerned about how much harm she'll do to you!" the wizard cried, completely incensed by now. "She's dangerous! Unpredictable!"

The conversation was apparently over; both Red Wizards began casting. So did Neera.

"Away with you, you pompous creep!" she shouted.

Suddenly, light enveloped the wizard who'd been speaking. "What? Not again!" he cried, before disappearing in a swirl of lightning.

"Ekandor? Where'd you go?" yelled the other wizard, so shocked his spell disappeared in his hands. He tried to compose himself. "We can't let her escape! Slaughter them all and we'll sort this out once we find him!"

Imoen had been training her bow on the wizard's chest for the last few moments, and she let her arrow fly the second he began casting another spell. She didn't quite hit her intended mark, instead lodging an arrow in his side, but at least his spell was ruined.

Khalid and Jaheira rushed to engage the guards, which they were luckily able to take down easily. Neera cast a spell at the injured wizard, but somehow Imoen didn't think it had its intended effect. The pink-haired woman's expression made it clear she meant harm, but instead a torrent of pink bubbles shot forth from her hands, popping harmlessly on contact with her target. Less harmless, however, was Khalid's sword running him through from behind.

Imoen turned with interest to this peculiar mage. Maybe she liked pink as much as she did! Jaheira, however, rounded on Neera with thinly veiled disdain.

"Wild magic," she said, glaring. "Count yourself lucky you did not affect us with your spells."

"I am really, really, really sorry about what just happened," Neera said. "But if I hadn't involved you they'd be knee-deep in my brains right now."

"We were happy to help, right guys?" Imoen asked, looking at Jaheira pointedly.

The druid ignored her. "You put others in unnecessary danger with your magic. You would do well to contain it."

Neera's face fell and her shoulders slumped. "I _said_ I was sorry. I-I was hoping you might let me stay with you for a while. I swear I'm quite a skilled spellcaster, I-"

"Absolutely not," said Jaheira. "You'd only be a liability."

"Let's at least ask Sil!" Imoen said.

"Silandra is young and inexperienced," said Jaheira. "I'll not put her at risk by inviting this delayed blast fireball into our group!"

Neera squared her shoulders and glared at Jaheira defiantly. "Well, that's disappointing," she said. "I was all worked up to go on an adventure and now you've left me to _die_ in the wilderness!" I'll head to the Friendly Arm Inn. Maybe we'll run into each other again when you're feeling less heartless."

The pink-haired woman stormed off, and Jaheira watched her for a moment before continuing to walk as though nothing had happened.

"Why wouldn't you let her join us?" Imoen asked. "Sil could use another mage to talk to. And _I_ would've liked to talk to her too. Xzar's kinda creepy."

"Do you fancy being caught in an ice storm because of a wild magic surge? Or being turned to stone? Split in two?" Jaheira asked. "No, I doubt it."

"She is r-right, you know," said Khalid. "Wild m-magic is d-dangerous and Silandra is in enough d-danger as it is."

While Imoen could see the logic in this, she felt bad for Neera. She thought they could have been friends. And maybe she could have found out how she made her hair such a lovely shade.

* * *

An hour later, Silandra and Imoen were in their room at the Burning Wizard getting ready to see Silke perform. Jaheira had initially declined the request, but a few words from Khalid, plus the knowledge that Ajantis would take the girls anyway, made her give in. The group would eat at Feldepost's and watch Silke perform, then head straight back to their rooms to sleep.

Imoen had launched into the encounter with Neera the moment she and Silandra were alone.

"You met another mage and Jaheira rejected her?" Silandra asked, upset. So what if Neera's magic was unpredictable? She probably still had enough knowledge for Silandra to learn from and she regretted the missed opportunity.

"I know, I know," said Imoen, who was working on giving Silandra a new hairstyle. "I told Jaheira we should ask you first but she wouldn't listen. She's kinda bossy, doncha think?"

"I'm glad it's not just me," Silandra replied. "I know she was Gorion's friend and wants to look out for me, but I want to _adventure_, not be babysat!"

"Maybe give it some time," said Imoen. "She'll see you're actually pretty capable and then maybe she'll lay off. I think she's just bein' protective."

Silandra didn't reply to that. She wasn't sure that she really was that competent and in some ways she _wanted_ people to be protective of her. It was clear that someone wanted her dead. She wondered if it was the man who'd killed Gorion and shuddered involuntarily.

Imoen didn't notice; she'd stepped back to admire her work. "There ya go!" she said. "Just wait'll Ajantis sees you!"

Silandra frowned slightly. "Ajantis?"

"You're kinda dense sometimes, ya know that Sil?" Imoen said, smiling. "Ajantis _likes_ you."

"Oh," was all Silandra said, her frown deepening.

It wasn't that she didn't notice. She was just used to it. Most men _liked_ her and so did a lot of women for that matter. But she knew it was only because of her looks, and Gorion had told her early on not to pursue such a relationship for it would only end in heartache. There'd also been the underlying hint of what he may do to her, the bindings he may enforce on her powers, if she did start a relationship and he suspected she'd coerced her partner in any way. So she'd tried hard not to think about anyone like that.

She glanced at her reflection, smiling briefly at her new hair style. Imoen knew her well enough to know she preferred her hair loose, despite that not being considered proper. Most of her golden locks flowed down her back unrestrained, but a few small braids circled her head and were pinned at the back of her neck.

She thanked Imoen and the girls headed downstairs. The Burning Wizard was nearly empty, and Silandra hoped that didn't mean that everyone was at Feldepost's to see Silke. It wasn't quite time for dinner and the show was to start after, but maybe they should get moving just in case. There was no sign of Montaron or Xzar so they left a note at the bar for if they showed up.

It was immediately obvious upon entering that Feldepost's Inn was for rich people. The floor was polished wood and there were intricately woven carpets on the floor. Silandra and her companions took the last remaining table and she noted that the chair's cushion was extremely comfortable.

The clientele were mostly nobles by the looks of them, well dressed, many bejeweled. Silandra was glad Imoen was sitting beside her where she could keep an eye on her.

There were also a few more interesting patrons. In one corner sat a rather striking elven man with a green tattoo depicting a mask across his eyes. A pretty noblewoman sat beside him, blushing at something he'd said. Standing against the wall with a mug of ale was a dwarf in chainmail, an axe at his side and crossbow on his back. He didn't seem to be enjoying himself as much as those around him, but then most of the dwarves Silandra had met tended to be on the surly side so it didn't seem out of the ordinary. Sitting alone at a table across the room was a man wearing a dark mage robe. Silandra may have considered approaching him, but his expression was not friendly. At the bar, an attractive woman wearing a low-cut tunic and trousers instead of a dress sat talking to a nobleman. Silandra's eyes widened as she saw the woman smoothly cut the man's purse, something she likely wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't seen Imoen do it so many times. She averted her eyes quickly. She didn't want to interfere.

The food here was excellent – tender cuts of beef braised in red wine, soft, white bread, lightly grilled vegetables with fresh herbs and delicate honey cakes for dessert. Silandra tried not to think about how expensive it was. Imoen was ordering food and drink for the table like she had a limitless supply of gold, and Silandra only hoped she wasn't counting on replenishing it by robbing the people watching the performance. Silandra herself drank wine this time and found she much preferred the taste to ale, though it cost more. She made her one glass last.

Soon the dinner hour was over and the small platform serving as a stage on one side of the room was taken by a woman holding a harp. Not just any woman either – she was beautiful, with skin like flawless ivory and smooth dark hair that was cut just past her chin. She wore a revealing black dress that fell short of her knees and appeared to be made of real silk – Silandra wondered if that was an intentional play on her name.

A young man followed her onto the stage, lute in hand. He was nice looking, in a boyish sort of way. He smiled up at Silke before turning to the audience.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen of Beregost!" he said, his voice a little high, though that tended to be a good quality in bards. "I present to you Miss Silke Rosena, thespian extraordinaire!"

There was a round of applause and the bards began to play. Silke had a high, clear voice which flowed through the notes with ease. Her accompanist rarely added his own – this was clearly her show; he hadn't even seen fit to introduce himself. Silandra wished she could dance, but there was very little space with how full the inn's common room was, and no one else seemed about to. Maybe the upper class didn't think it appropriate to dance in an inn.

She was disappointed once the performance was over – not only because she'd been enjoying herself, but because it meant it was time to head to the decidedly less fancy Burning Wizard and get some sleep. Tomorrow she and her companions would be off on their way to Nashkel, encountering who knew what kind of danger on their way.

Just as she was getting up to leave, however, she saw the young lute player coming her way with purpose and decided to wait for him.

"Excuse me, but you are adventurers, are you not?" he addressed the group.

"Yes, we are," said Silandra, more confidently than she felt. "Are you in need of assistance?"

The man looked at her for a moment, apparently lost for words. Silandra was used to this, especially from young men, and waited patiently.

"Well, what is it?" Jaheira asked. She, of course, couldn't wait.

"Oh, uh, I… well I'm Garrick," the man sputtered. "I have a proposal for you. How would you like a well-paying job as bodyguards for my mistress?"

"We have very little time," Jaheira said.

"Oh but this will only take a few moments!" Garrick said quickly, and looked around before continuing, lowering his voice. "You see, she and Feldepost have had a disagreement regarding her payment and she is worried the negotiations may turn violent. She only needs you to accompany her for a few moments outside."

"That sounds fair," said Silandra. "We can always use more gold."

Silke herself was still mingling with the audience, smiling and shaking hands. She didn't look concerned for her life, but she was a performer after all, so she was probably good at concealing it. She flung a dark cloak around her shoulders and headed out the door.

"That's her signal," he said. "Let's follow, quickly."

Silandra and her companions headed outside where Silke was waiting. The bard glanced at the group, sniffed, and began walking without a word. Silandra and Imoen exchanged a glance. Bards had visited Candlekeep before, of course, but they were usually a little more friendly than this.

"This way," said Garrick.

They soon arrived at a small street that ran around the back of the inn, where Silke stopped.

"So, Garrick," she said smoothly, "these were the only mercenaries you could find? I guess they'll have to do. Protect me from Feldepost's thugs and I will pay you 300 gold."

"Sounds fair to me," said Silandra.

"Good, because here they come," Silke said.

Silandra took a few steps backward, letting Ajantis and Khalid move to the front, as three men emerged from the backdoor of Feldepost's Inn. They didn't look dangerous – as far as she could tell they weren't even armed – but perhaps they were wizards. They weren't dressed as such though, instead wearing simple tunics and trousers like common folk, and she didn't sense any magic coming from them.

"Here they are!" Silke declared, a touch dramatically. "Strike now!"

"What?" said one of the men, eyes wide in what looked to be fear. "We're here with the gems that – "

"Don't listen to him! Kill them!" Silke was practically screaming now, a far cry from her beautiful singing voice.

"I don't think so," Silandra said, glad that her companions were sensible enough not to have attacked yet. "These men seem harmless. They're not even armed."

"Why you!" Silke screeched. "I'll handle them myself, after I kill _you_!"

The woman had to be mad to take on so many. But she was already beginning a spell, and if Silandra knew anything about combat it was that spellcasters could be extremely dangerous.

"Stop her!" she yelled.

Ajantis and Khalid were upon the woman quickly. Garrick, thankfully, had stepped to the side rather than joining his mistress in her attack. Silandra watched nervously as Silke avoided Khalid and Ajantis' blows, and when her spell finished there were five of her. Silandra took a few steps to the side so that she had a better view and shot a magic missile at the woman. By chance it connected with the real Silke but did nothing more than singe her. Jaheira and Imoen were shooting missiles but they only succeeded in hitting copies. Now Silke was casting another spell, and Silandra felt uneasy as she watched the motions. She was vaguely familiar with the beginnings of a devastating spell and she launched another magic missile, but it harmlessly hit the last illusion. Luckily, a split second later Ajantis got a good hit on the woman, slashing open her side and causing her magic to fizzle in a burst of white sparks.

"Garrick, help me!" she cried weakly, before unsteadily launching into another spell.

Garrick did have a short sword at his side, but he didn't reach for it. Silke was unable to move so easily now and quickly fell to Khalid's next strike.

"Were you in on this, bard?" Jaheira, of course.

"N-no!" Garrick said quickly. "I swear, she told me Feldepost wasn't paying her fee and that he threatened her!"

"We thank you for seeing sense," said one of Feldepost's men. He opened the pouch he was holding and held it towards the group, revealing a number of glimmering gemstones. "This is her payment. She did try asking for more, but Feldepost was firm and he thought they'd reached an agreement."

Silandra couldn't believe she'd been deceived in such a way. She liked the idea of helping people but now she'd always be wary of deceit. She glared down at Silke's corpse.

"I'm sorry she turned out to be so treacherous," Ajantis said.

"It's quite alright. Here, you should have these. For your trouble," said the man, holding out a few of the gems.

Silandra's eyes lit up and she accepted the reward, trying to take pleasure in it and ignore how dismayed she was. "Thank you," she said.

"I guess I'm out of a job now," said Garrick nervously. "Would it be too much to ask if I could join up with you?"

"We neither want nor need an entertainer," Jaheira said.

"Maybe _you_ don't, but _I_ do!" Silandra said. "You can't just turn down everyone who wants to join us! People are trying to kill me!"

"I assure you, I am proficient at combat and know a few spells," said Garrick. "And if people really are trying to kill the lady, then perhaps I could be of some assistance."

"You're welcome to join with us, Garrick," said Silandra, smiling and ignoring the way Jaheira was looking at her.

They waited outside the inn for Garrick to retrieve his belongings from his room, since he doubted Feldepost would want him to stay after what happened. When he returned they headed for the Burning Wizard. Jaheira took off at a swift pace, Khalid following close behind, while the others took their time. Imoen had taken it upon herself to tell Garrick everyone's names and was already questioning him about his talents, while Silandra and Ajantis walked side by side in a companionable silence.

Silandra looked at the darkened sky, which tonight was clear enough to make out many stars, and smiled slightly. Despite everything, perhaps she could begin to enjoy this life. She wasn't quite so sore as she'd been the first day, and although it hadn't exactly happened in the way she'd like, she'd just helped some poor innocent inn employees. She tried to ignore the part where Silke had _lied_ to her.

She turned to Ajantis to ask what he'd thought of the performance, which she'd still rather enjoyed despite finding out Silke was evil, when she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She gasped, more surprised than anything. She grabbed Ajantis' arm, suddenly finding she was very weak. She knew he cried out in alarm but she couldn't make out his words. Her whole body felt like it was burning, and she looked down and saw something sticking out of her chest before everything faded away.


	6. Chapter 6

Imoen watched as her best friend abruptly stumbled and almost fell. Thankfully Ajantis caught her and called for Jaheira because she wasn't close enough to reach her in time.

"Sil!" she cried, dashing to her side.

She didn't even think about the fact that whoever had attacked was still out there and may choose her as their next target. She only thought of her best friend. This almost didn't seem real. One moment they were walking down the darkened streets of Beregost, in good spirits despite their recent encounter with a spiteful musician, the next Silandra was bleeding to death.

"I saw him run off," said Garrick, his eyes trained on the roof across the street, "but I think he'd be hard to follow at this hour."

Khalid and Jaheira were running back and Ajantis lay Silandra gently on the ground. Imoen tore off her cloak to use as a pillow, ignoring the tears beginning to stream down her face.

Silandra had a crossbow bolt sticking out of her chest but she was still breathing, though only faintly. The assassin had probably been aiming for her heart and Imoen thought it was lucky he apparently wasn't that great a shot.

"I don't think my power is enough to save her," Ajantis admitted. "The bolt must come out and… there'll be even more blood."

"It looks like poison. Move aside, all of you!" Jaheira demanded.

Ajantis and Imoen made just enough room for Jaheira and Khalid to kneel beside Silandra. Imoen hovered anxiously while Ajantis joined Garrick in looking around for the attacker. She didn't put much faith in them finding him though; he was probably halfway across town already.

The druid began murmuring a spell and her hands glowed with a blue light. She and Khalid had evidently tended to similar wounds before; Khalid yanked the bolt from Silandra's chest just as the spell completed. Imoen worried at how pale her best friend still looked and how shallow her breathing was. But Jaheira wasn't done. She began another casting and Silandra's breathing became more even, though she didn't wake.

Khalid started scanning the rooftops the moment he was no longer needed to help with the healing, He and Jaheira, being half-elves, were more likely than anyone else to have a chance at seeing something. He found nothing though; the culprit had vanished.

"Ajantis, pick her up," Jaheira said. "We need to get her inside, then Khalid and I will look for any trace of this assassin."

Ajantis lifted Silandra easily—she probably weighed next to nothing, Imoen thought somewhat enviously—and the group proceeded quickly to the Burning Wizard, keeping an eye out in case the assassin reappeared.

"I think I should accompany you," said Ajantis. "I may not be able to see well in the dark but I can detect an evil presence if I focus. I'm sorry. I should have been doing it the whole time we were walking."

"You c-can't catch everything," Khalid said. "No one is b-blaming you."

"You're a good man, Khalid," Ajantis said. "I do feel I failed in my duty, however. I should always remain vigilant. It is one of the first lessons I learned."

"Garrick, you saw this assassin?" Jaheira asked. "What did he look like?"

"I could only make out his shape," said Garrick. "But he appeared to be short and broad-shouldered—a dwarf, maybe."

"And where was he exactly?"

"On the rooftop across from us—I'm not sure what the building was, someone's house I think."

Thankfully, they arrived back at the Burning Wizard without further incident and Silandra was put to bed.

"She will be fine after she rests a while," said Jaheira. She paused a moment, looking at Garrick with mistrust. "Ajantis, do you detect any evil in this man?"

Ajantis seemed surprised, but he looked at Garrick and his eyes seemed to glow briefly. "No," he said. "I do not think he was privy to Silke's plans."

"Of course I wasn't!" Garrick said. "I was as shocked as you all were!"

"Very well," said Jaheira, turning to Imoen. "You two will remain by her side until we return. The assassin may have followed her here and you must be on your guard, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Garrick said. The poor thing looked terrified.

"Of course," Imoen said. "I'd defend Sil with my life!"

Soon Imoen was alone with Garrick and Silandra, who didn't look like she'd wake for some time.

"You okay?" Imoen asked.

"Fine!" Garrick said quickly, though he looked rather pale.

"Jaheira just feels she has to protect Sil, that's all," said Imoen. "And we _did_ just meet you, and your friend _did_ attack us. Makes sense to check you out."

"I guess you're right," said Garrick. "I still just… I can't believe Silke was _evil_!"

"Don't worry, even our paladin didn't notice," said Imoen. "I guess she was good at pretending."

Garrick didn't reply, and Imoen sighed when she saw the way he was looking at her best friend. She'd seen that look many times before and knew in his case at least that it was futile.

"You're not her type," she said.

Garrick looked up, his face reddening. "Uh, what?" he said.

"She prefers tall, muscular guys," Imoen said. "You know, like Ajantis."

"Oh. I didn't mean… uh…"

Imoen rolled her eyes. "She's half-nymph so yes, she is incredibly beautiful. I just don't want you getting your hopes up."

"Maybe I'll write a song about her," Garrick said nervously.

Imoen wished someone would write a song about _her_. She loved Silandra like a sister, but it was hard knowing that any man who knew both of them would only look at her if Silandra wasn't interested. She couldn't fault her best friend for her looks, and it's not like she flaunted them too much—she didn't even know how to flirt!—but it was hard not to be jealous. Imoen had easily enough ignored the initial attraction she felt towards Ajantis, but now she may have to do the same with Garrick, who she thought she liked the look of even _more_. Of course, she had always been the one who liked talking about boys. Silandra was kind of distant in that regard and Imoen counted herself lucky whenever she could get her to talk about such things.

"She does like music," was all Imoen could think of to say. "But we need to be watching the door, not her. What if the assassin comes back?"

"I'll defend both you ladies from any danger," said Garrick, though he didn't sound very confident. He leaned back and shifted his gaze to the door. Imoen wondered if he even knew how to use the short sword at his waist.

"So how long were you traveling with Silke?" she asked. She may as well fill in the time with conversation, and she was sure the life of a bard had to be exciting, especially when traveling with someone who was considered famous like Silke.

"Only a few months," said Garrick. "It was a good deal while it lasted. We always got to stay in the best inns and often got free food and drink. I wonder now how many other people she tricked. I feel terrible."

"Where's the most interesting place you've been?" Imoen asked, determined to keep the conversation light-hearted. He didn't need to be dwelling on Silke's betrayal.

Garrick considered for a moment. "I met Silke at the Elfsong Tavern in Baldur's Gate. It's haunted by a singing ghost and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. Bards aren't allowed to play there but I always visit when I'm in the city. I think the song… well, it drew us together." He was blushing and Imoen wondered just what his relationship with Silke had been. He seemed more upset about her being evil than he was about her death.

"I guess you got to travel a lot, huh?" said Imoen.

"I used to once, yes," said Garrick. He paused a moment, as if unsure whether to continue.

"What is it?" Imoen asked, frowning.

"Silke was never very famous outside the Baldur's Gate area," Garrick said. "But before meeting her I was part of a group known as the Dale Wind Troubadours. We traveled up and down the coast, from Neverwinter to Amn. But… well, it turned out they were a group of thieves!"

"Oh, um, that's terrible!" Imoen said, feeling uncomfortable at his words. She was a thief, technically, but she didn't steal from people who couldn't afford it. And sometimes she just liked to look at other peoples' stuff. She didn't always steal it.

"I thought I'd found a new home with Silke," Garrick continued, looking a little despondent. "We were to play at the Ducal palace next month. It was to be her biggest show yet. But that's not going to happen anymore. Maybe it wouldn't have anyway; I hear the city's closed."

"Well we're goin' to fix the Nashkel mines and then I bet we can fix the bandit problem too! And then we can go to Baldur's Gate. I'd like to hear this singing ghost."

"So there'll be a fair amount of… danger involved, traveling with you?" Garrick asked. "I mean, aside from the assassin who just tried killing Silandra."

"I guess," Imoen said, shrugging. She thought they'd handled themselves well so far and she found their skirmishes with bandits and gibberlings more exciting than scary.

Garrick didn't reply. His fingers twitched towards his lute, strapped to his back, but he did not remove it.

"She's probably not going to wake," said Imoen. "Why don't you play something? Probably shouldn't be too loud at this time but what about a lullaby?"

"Of course," Garrick said, looking relieved.

He began to play softly, and Imoen did not recognize the song but she, like Silandra, loved music and enjoyed it all the same. He sang too, and she decided she much preferred hearing his voice to Silke's. Maybe _he_ should have been the famous one.

Music made the time appear to pass more quickly, and soon the others returned. Thankfully they were unharmed, though they did look tired.

"We found an empty ale mug on a rooftop in the area," said Jaheira. "We think the assassin may have been at the inn before moving into position and waiting there a while. Unfortunately we could not find him. We will have to be doubly on guard from now on for it is likely he will try again."

"I thought Ajantis was gonna do his paladin thingy and detect evil," Imoen said.

"The problem is there are many evil-minded individuals in a town such as this," said Ajantis. He looked exhausted. "We cannot just kill them all and we did not encounter anyone matching the description Garrick gave us."

"Does this mean we're gonna have to leave early again?" Imoen asked, not looking forward to the answer.

"As early as possible, though no doubt the halfling and mad wizard will not be here early and Silandra will refuse to leave without them, _again_. Khalid and I will take first watch. Ajantis and Garrick second. You, Imoen, should get some rest."

"I can watch too!" Imoen cried.

"You are a child and need your sleep," Jaheira said, crossing her arms.

"I'm the same age as Sil! Well, almost."

"Yes, and Silandra is also a child."

"Eighteen isn't a child!"

"She knows nothing of the world. In that regard, she is. Now goodnight. Ajantis, you'll share your room with Garrick. Now go."

The two left the room quickly, not daring to try arguing with the druid. Jaheira eyed the window appraisingly and sighed. "We'll have to see if we can get windowless rooms from now on. I will stay here. Khalid will watch outside."

"You're gonna watch us sleep?" Imoen asked. That was just creepy.

"I'm going to keep watch _while_ you sleep," said Jaheira. "Now go to bed."

Imoen knew there would be no point in arguing so she did as she was told, sticking her tongue out at the druid when she turned to face the window again.

* * *

It took some time for Silandra to realize she was awake, that she was not dead. She didn't dream often but she thought she had been, a little. She had been alone in a vast nothingness. The memory was fading too quickly to grasp hold and she dismissed it as a side effect of almost dying. She felt a little weak but she was in no pain. She sat up slowly, seeing she was lying in bed fully clothed, and sighed when she saw the state of her dress. There was a small hole where she'd been shot and the fabric was stiff from her own dried blood. At this rate she'd have nothing suitable to wear. She wondered if this was a common problem among adventurers or if she had just been particularly unlucky.

She then noticed Ajantis in the room, leaning against the wall fully armored. She wondered if he'd been there all night. Unexpectedly, the thought made her blush, something she rarely did, and she pretended to still be examining her dress in order to hide it.

"Are you feeling better, my lady?" Ajantis asked quietly, not wanting to wake Imoen who was sleeping in the other bed.

"Well enough, considering I probably almost died," Silandra said. "Why are you here? I hope you didn't stay up all night."

"Jaheira thought it best you were guarded. Garrick's outside. I'm watching the window. Jaheira and Khalid watched for the first half."

Silandra glanced at the window. Any assassin that managed to get through that would have to be fairly small, but she was not going to accuse her companions of being overly cautious. It looked like it was still early but she wanted to clean herself up and change. She knew the room had a bathtub because she had requested one, planning on bathing after returning from Feldepost's. She was not going to let the assassin take that away from her, regardless of how soon Jaheira may want to leave.

"Did you get the assassin?" she asked, getting out of bed and stretching.

"I regret to tell you we did not, though we did try," said Ajantis. "I will endeavor to be more vigilant in future."

"I don't think anyone was expecting it," said Silandra. "And it was dark so you may not have seen him anyway."

She had hoped she was only being guarded in case of new attacks and did not like hearing the assassin was still out there. She was quite sure she had nearly died and she suddenly had a new sense of just how vulnerable she was. She knew that there were spells to defend against missiles, but they were probably too advanced for her. Instead, perhaps she could find some other form of defense.

"I'm going to bathe," she said, stretching and heading over to the tub.

"I'll uh… wait outside," said Ajantis quickly. "Keep an eye on the window."

He left almost before he'd finished speaking and Silandra smiled to herself. Humans and their modesty. She used magic to fill the tub, not wanting to wait to get it filled manually. She wasn't supposed to do that but no one was around to stop her and nothing bad happened.

She quickly realized she'd have a scar from where the crossbow bolt had pierced her skin—not a big one, and it would fade to almost nothing eventually, but a scar all the same. Imoen was asleep and there was no one else to see her cry over such a seemingly trivial thing, so she let the tears fall.

She did feel a little better after her bath. Being clean made a big difference. She combed her hair thoroughly and left it out. It dried better that way and besides, Gorion wasn't around any longer to tell her that it wasn't proper for a woman her age to walk around with her hair loose. She suddenly felt guilty at the thought, but it was just a sign of how much he had oppressed her. Perhaps his intentions had been good, but it had been impossible for her to live a full life under his care.

Imoen was still asleep when she finished bathing. She probably wouldn't be too impressed about being woken before breakfast was being served so Silandra opened the door, finding Ajantis and Garrick standing in the hall.

"I'm going downstairs," she stated.

"But it might not be safe!" Garrick said.

"I think it's much less likely anyone would attack me in daylight in the common room of an inn," Silandra said. "You should stay here until Imoen wakes, just in case."

Garrick didn't argue, and Silandra and Ajantis headed downstairs.

Silandra would not have been surprised if Khalid and Jaheira were already waiting for her, but the common room was nearly empty at this time. There was a serving woman standing at the bar and the smell of breakfast cooking filled the air. She could not help but feel a little on edge. She chose a corner table where she could keep an eye on the entrance, the stairs and the doorway to the kitchens, so at least no one could sneak up on her.

The serving woman brought tea and said breakfast would be ready shortly. Silandra was hungrier than usual lately, probably from all the traveling, and she'd likely lost a lot of blood last night so she was especially eager for breakfast this morning.

"Do you have any idea why assassins are after you?" Ajantis asked. "First at the Friendly Arm, then here…"

"They weren't the only ones," Silandra said. "The day I left Candlekeep I was attacked twice, though thankfully both men were incompetent. Then there was the man who killed Gorion. He was dangerous. I was lucky to escape with my life. I can only imagine that they're all connected."

Ajantis forehead creased in concern. "If you don't mind me asking—this Gorion, was he an important figure?"

"He used to be an adventurer before he adopted me," said Silandra. "He was a powerful mage. He may have had enemies, I suppose, but I don't see why they'd be after me. Maybe if they hadn't killed him they could hold me for a ransom, but he's gone and he's the only one who would care."

"I'm sorry to bring up unpleasant memories," Ajantis said.

"It's fine," said Silandra. "In truth, Gorion and I were not very close. He cared for me when I had no one else and I can't ignore that. Even though he was perhaps more strict with me than necessary, especially in the last few years… I mourn for him, but I will get past it. Maybe one day I'll even adjust to traveling every day and almost dying to assassins."

"I will be much more vigilant in future, my lady, I promise," said Ajantis.

Silandra saw movement on the stairs and tensed involuntarily, but saw that it was only Khalid and Jaheira.

"Are you feeling b-better, Silandra?" Khalid asked.

"Yes, thank you," Silandra said. "Or perhaps I should be thanking you, Jaheira. I'm assuming you healed me?"

"Of course," Jaheira said. "You're lucky I was there. That bolt very nearly killed you."

"I appreciate it," Silandra said, uncomfortably realizing that she hadn't been exactly _nice_ to Jaheira recently.

"You're going to have to wear your hood up whenever we're around people," said Jaheira. "You're too distinctive-looking and these assassins apparently aren't giving up."

Silandra sighed but didn't try to argue. Jaheira was right. "Are you sure _you_ don't know why these assassins are after me?"

"I've already told you what little we know," said Jaheira. "I expect Gorion would have given us the answers had he survived to reach the Friendly Arm."

"But you knew him," Silandra said. "Better than I did, probably. I know he used to be an adventurer but that's all. He didn't like talking about himself much."

Khalid and Jaheira exchanged a look, and apparently came to some sort of a decision.

"Gorion was a member of the Harpers, as are we," Jaheira said quietly. "Ajantis, I expect you can be trusted with this, and Silandra, from what I've seen you do not seem the type to gossip. I'd rather the others didn't know—especially Montaron and Xzar."

Silandra had read about the Harpers, of course. They were a fairly secretive organization dedicated to promoting good, preserving history, and maintaining the balance. They also had powerful enemies, among them the Red Wizards of Thay and the Zhentarim, from what she could remember.

"You think that's why I'm being targeted? Something related to Harper business?" Silandra asked.

"Perhaps," said Jaheira. "I have sent a message to a contact of ours who may be able to tell us more."

A small group of patrons came down the stairs and took a nearby table, and another serving woman emerged from the kitchens with baskets of fresh bread which she distributed. The conversation had to end for now but Silandra hoped to revisit it soon.

"I guess I should go wake Imoen," she said, beginning to rise.

"N-no, I will go," said Khalid quickly.

Silandra frowned as she watched him go.

"It would be best if you are not alone while your life is being threatened," said Jaheira.

Silandra understood, but she was sure this was going to be a pain before long. "I don't suppose you have any other ideas? You know, ways to protect myself without having to rely on others."

"You should probably have a set of mage robes, to start," said Jaheira. "Unfortunately, they cost more than we can afford right now. However there's sure to be a monetary reward involved for helping Nashkel."

Silandra was torn between wanting her very own mage robes, something she'd dreamed of for years, and not wanting the group's reward money to be spent on herself over the others. "What about spells?" she asked. Maybe Jaheira knew of something she could cast even at her level.

"I am unfamiliar with the intricacies of arcane magic, but I know that spells exist for creating magical armor and blocking attacks. Again, spells are expensive, and from what Gorion told us you do not learn easily."

"I learn easily enough!" Silandra said, immediately feeling defensive. "It's only new _spells_, getting them right in my mind… it takes time. And anyway, I can do all kinds of things without using those strict forms, but Gorion made me promise not to."

"Sorcery is dangerous," Jaheira said. "Perhaps it seems harsh but Gorion was correct."

"But I never hurt anyone," Silandra said.

"Were you always in complete control?" Jaheira asked.

Silandra sighed but didn't answer. She didn't want to lie. Thankfully, the rest of the breakfast was being brought out now and Imoen came down the stairs just in time with Garrick and Khalid.

"Sil, how're you feeling?" she asked, taking a seat and wasting no time in piling her plate with food.

"A little tired, perhaps, but otherwise fine," Silandra said.

"Good. You had me real scared. It was so fast and… You're not allowed to die, okay?"

"We are all going to be a lot more careful from now on," Jaheira said. "These assassins obviously have ways of knowing where Silandra is, but perhaps if she is disguised they will lose track of her."

"I'm not going to let another assassin get by me," Ajantis said, even now paying more attention to the inn's entrance than his food.

Now that most of her companions were here, Silandra was looking at the doorway for a different reason. "Has there been any sign of Montaron and Xzar yet?" she asked.

Although she was not too surprised that they had not shown up the night before, she had expected them to return for breakfast. Perhaps they had stayed at another inn and were eating there, but if so they had better turn up soon.

"No, and we are not going to wait for them this time," Jaheira said firmly. "We didn't find that assassin last night which means he is still out there and may try again."

"Did anyone get a look at him at least?" Silandra asked.

"I got a glimpse right after he shot you," said Garrick. "I couldn't make out much but he was short."

"There was a dwarf in Feldepost's when we were eating dinner," said Silandra. "He had a crossbow too. I didn't keep track of him though."

"We'll keep an eye out," said Jaheira. "If he tries following us out of Beregost we'll catch him and hopefully find out what's going on."

Silandra liked that plan. Maybe this was all some big misunderstanding and they had the wrong person. Of course, she did not like the idea that Gorion may have been killed by mistake, but at least she could get it sorted out and be safe, right? But even as she considered the idea, she realized how ridiculously optimistic it was.

By the time they had finished breakfast, Montaron and Xzar still had not shown up. The common room was beginning to clear and Jaheira was looking impatient, though to her credit she wasn't saying anything yet.

"What if the assassin went after them?" Silandra asked. "Maybe he knew they were traveling with me. They could be in danger."

"I doubt it," said Jaheira. "The best we can do is leave them a message here before we go. They can catch up with us on the road."

Silandra didn't like it but if this was a habit of theirs it probably would not be a good idea to keep traveling with them. Having reliable companions was important. And she still remembered how the two had ignored her last words to them the previous day.

"Fine," she said. "I do hope they're alright."

"I don't think you have to worry about them," said Imoen. "They can handle themselves. Maybe they just ditched us."

"They wouldn't do that!" Silandra cried, shocked at the very thought. "They wouldn't just leave without saying anything!"

"They m-might," said Khalid. "I d-don't think they're very n-nice p-people."

Well, Silandra did not feel she could argue with that.


	7. Chapter 7

Today had the potential to be the first time Silandra could really enjoy traveling. She was a little weak from nearly being killed but for the most part, it seemed her body was getting used to walking all day. But Jaheira had insisted they _all_ wear their cloaks with the hoods up so that it would be difficult for the assassin to pick out his target if he was following them. Silandra thought it wouldn't be difficult since only she and Imoen were of comparable height, but she didn't have the energy to spend arguing with Jaheira today.

Imoen was taking the lead, scouting for any threats on the road ahead, while Garrick and Ajantis brought up the rear and were supposed to be keeping an eye and ear out for any sign of the assassin. Silandra was walking between Khalid and Jaheira for her own safety, an arrangement she found made the journey incredibly dull. She found herself almost hoping the assassin would attack because at least then she would not be so bored.

"How long until we reach Nashkel?" she asked.

"A couple of days, perhaps," said Jaheira. "We are heading into the foot of the Cloud Peak Mountains and the terrain will grow rough."

"Aren't there a lot of wolves in the mountains?" Silandra asked, though she didn't think she really had to worry about them with the group she had now.

"Oh yes," said Jaheira. "I do not expect them to bother us, however."

The druid did not appear to be in the mood for further conversation, and Silandra was trying to think of something to get Khalid talking when Imoen dashed back towards them.

"Ogres ahead!" she said in a low voice, looking excited.

Silandra did not share her enthusiasm. Yes, she had wanted something to happen but not ogres! She still vividly remembered those who had accompanied the armored man. Gorion had killed them before his death, but he was much stronger than she was—probably stronger than her whole group together.

"Can we avoid them?" she asked.

"They're kinda in the middle of the road," said Imoen. "We can take 'em!"

"We have no choice," said Jaheira. At least she did not seem worried. "Taking a detour into the wilderness around here may be too dangerous. How many?"

"Only two!" Imoen said. She already had her bow ready with an arrow nocked.

"Ogres?" Garrick said weakly, though he drew his crossbow in preparation.

Ajantis moved to the front, sword and shield ready, and he and Khalid led the group further up the road. Silandra found herself flanked by Jaheira and Imoen, but she didn't mind now that she knew they were about to run into a pair of ogres. She prepared her mind for a sleep spell, thinking it would be easy to fight anything if it were asleep.

The road twisted through trees and shrubs here, which was just as well since it had probably made it easier for Imoen to see the ogres before they saw her. When the creatures came into view Silandra found herself breathing a sigh of relief. These were not the ten-foot-tall monstrosities that had ambushed her and Gorion; they were merely half-breeds, a ghastly mix of ogre and orc known as ogrillons. They were perhaps only a foot taller than Ajantis, who stepped forward to face them with Khalid.

She noticed as they drew closer that the ogrillons had already found a victim today; at their feet lay the corpse of a halfling, though it was evidently a fresh kill and they hadn't got around to eating him yet. Silandra grimaced at the thought. Sometimes she wished she hadn't read quite so much, and then maybe the idea would never have entered her mind.

"I'll immobilize them," Jaheira said in a low voice.

She cast a spell that caused green vines to sprout from the ground, tangling themselves around the ogrillons' feet only a moment after they had noticed they were no longer alone. Silandra was impressed and changed tactics—instead of putting the monsters to sleep she hit the furthest one with a magic missile, which Imoen and Garrick were already attempting to pepper with missiles. Ajantis and Khalid engaged the other, somehow able to avoid getting twisted in Jaheira's vines themselves—or perhaps that was just an example of the druid's control over nature. They took turns attacking the ogrillon, making it flail wildly about as it was assaulted from both sides. It was slower than them and used its fists as its weapon, though they made an effective one, Silandra thought, as she saw Ajantis misjudge his footing and take a punch to the chest. Thankfully he seemed alright, but now the ogrillon was focusing on him. Khalid took the opportunity to ram his sword through the monster's chest.

The other creature was beginning to look like a pincushion, but the arrows and bolts only seemed to aggravate him. The burns from Silandra's magic missiles appeared to hurt him more, and he finally fell after she hit him again. Jaheira sent her vines back into the earth and approached Ajantis.

"Ajantis, do you need healing?" she asked.

"Thank you, but I can take care of it this time," he said. He lay a hand over his chest, and a faint blue glow emanated and settled around him. He seemed to move easier after that.

Imoen darted forward eagerly to loot the ogrillons' pockets, a job she now got to do all by herself since Montaron wasn't around anymore. She did lose some of the spring in her step when she knelt beside the dead halfling, however.

"Poor sod, takin' the dirt nap so soon," she said. "He's pretty young. A messenger I think, look."

She held out a satchel, opening it to reveal a few rolled up pieces of parchment. Silandra pulled one out and read it.

"A letter to someone named Mirianne," she said, and began glancing through the other scrolls.

"Oh, she lives in Beregost," Garrick said. "I did a few performances on the side before we were scheduled to play at Feldepost's. I remember her because she was so sad. She tipped well, said I brought light to her dark days."

"That's sweet," Silandra said. "Perhaps she's missing this Roe. That's who the letter is from. These others are letters too, not all for Beregost. We should go back and turn them in."

"And waste a day's travel?" said Jaheira. "I'm sure these people can wait for their letters. We will return to Beregost after we conclude our business in Nashkel."

"Can't messages be sent with magic?" Silandra asked. Of course, she already knew the answer, but was hoping Jaheira might be able to tell her something about how it was done.

"Yes, though it is far too advanced for you," said Jaheira. "Let us continue; we should begin looking for a place to camp for the night."

They fell back into their previous formation, much to Silandra's displeasure. At least they were stopping soon. Her body was not protesting as much as it had on her first day of traveling, but she was getting tired all the same. It looked like it would be a clear night and she was looking forward to camping under the stars.

They reached a spot which Jaheira said would be suitable for setting up their camp, a short distance off the road and sheltered by a few trees. Silandra took a look at the area, noting the features that made it appropriate for camping in case this decision ever fell to her in the future. The ground was soft so it was easy to set up the tents, and the trees not only provided a sense of security but they had littered the ground with plenty of kindling for the fire so Khalid did not have to stray far to accumulate what he needed. They were also at the bottom of a slight incline, which made it less likely anyone would see them from the road through the shrubs.

She and Imoen had just finished setting up their tent (with only a little help from Ajantis this time) when she saw Khalid bringing out his tinder box. She had a stroke of inspiration.

"Let me light it," she said. "Stand back a little."

She issued a rather large gout of flame from her fingers and lit the campfire nicely, though it was lucky Khalid had followed her instructions for he would surely have been burned if he had remained where he was.

"S-Silandra!" he said. "That was d-d-dangerous!"

"No it wasn't," Silandra protested. "I just wanted to help, and look, I did. You don't have to fiddle with lighting the fire the regular way anymore."

"Yes, at the cost of risking being burned to death," Jaheira said.

Silandra rolled her eyes, unable to help it. "Gorion did stuff like this all the time."

"He learned the cantrips properly, of course," said Jaheira. "Sorcery is hard to tame and you must remember that."

Silandra remained silent, her good mood spoiled. How was she supposed to 'tame' her abilities when she wasn't allowed to use them? Besides, she always tried to be careful!

Imoen brought out some of the food they had purchased in Beregost and proceeded to melt cheese onto slices of bread. She had taken it upon herself to take charge of their meals when on the road and she had been doing a good job of it so far.

"This is delicious!" Garrick exclaimed.

"I used to live in an inn," Imoen said, looking pleased. "'Course, Sil did too, but she spent most of her time studying while I had to help out with the cooking an' cleaning an' such. I learned a few tricks, one bein' that cheese melted on anything makes it better."

There had been little fresh produce available despite all the farms in the area—those who had fruit and vegetables stored wanted to keep them in case they became scarce what with all the bandit activity in the area. Jaheira was optimistic about being able to forage something, though she had decided they needed to make sure the assassin was not tailing them before the group split up.

"Khalid and I will take first watch," Jaheira said. "Ajantis and Garrick next."

"And then Imoen and I, right?" Silandra asked, ignoring the look Imoen gave her.

"You will both be sleeping," said Jaheira. "You are still not used to this life."

"I can take a watch just like everyone else," Silandra said. "Besides, that way everyone gets to sleep for longer."

"Not tonight," Jaheira said. "Get some sleep."

"I'm not tired yet," Silandra said, pulling out her spellbook.

"Maybe Garrick could give us a song," said Imoen hopefully.

Garrick was already reaching for his lute, but Jaheira held up her hand.

"No, we will not be creating any more noise than necessary," she said. "Besides, we need to keep an ear out for danger. Perhaps another time."

Garrick and Imoen both looked disappointed, and although Silandra had been intending to study for a little while she had to admit she was too.

"You're no fun," said Imoen. "Hey, what about a game? We can play 'I Spy'!"

Silandra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How Imoen had not yet grown out of that, she did not know.

"Oh, that sounds fun!" Garrick said.

No one else professed interest, and Silandra decided she would get some studying in after all. She had been learning a few spells before leaving Candlekeep and really wanted to try and learn them properly so that she could be a little more useful. She was pleased enough with how she had handled the ogrillon encounter, but she thought it would be useful to learn something aside from magic missiles and sleep. Grease, identify, armor… now _that_ might be useful. She tried to drown out the noise of Imoen and Garrick spying Ajantis' shield and a small nocturnal animal that the bard insisted had never been there, but it was difficult. She found herself looking at Ajantis, who was cleaning his sword, something he seemed to do every evening before retiring for the night. He still looked just as alert as Khalid and Jaheira even though he wasn't the one on watch.

"You can relax you know," she said, sidling up to him.

"I was taught to always be vigilant," he replied, taking in her proximity with what appeared to be discomfort.

"Taught by who?" Silandra pretended not to notice and settled down with her book still open.

"Keldorn Firecam, one of the greatest paladins of our order."

"Is he also a Helmite?"

"He follows Torm, though both our gods share similar ideals. My lady, if you don't mind me asking, which god do you favor?"

Silandra wished she had picked another line of conversation. This never went well and she could only imagine how much worse it was going to be with a paladin, but if he was going to be traveling with her for a while then he would find out eventually.

"I don't follow any god," she said reluctantly.

"You are godless?" Ajantis cried, looking horrified. "But how can that be?"

Silandra sighed heavily, seeing that Ajantis' outburst had been loud enough to draw everyone's attention.

"I admire and respect many gods, but none have called to me," she said quietly.

"This is not a good time to be without faith," Jaheira said. "Were your studies really so lacking in Candlekeep?"

"Gorion made sure I studied everything, including the gods," Silandra said firmly. "None resonate with me. That is all. I would rather not speak of this."

Thankfully, Ajantis and Jaheira let it rest, at least for the moment. She had the feeling this conversation was not really over. She decided that perhaps she _was_ tired after all, and bid her companions a brief goodnight before heading into the tent she was sharing with Imoen. She did her best to ignore Imoen and Garrick's game (which was getting more ridiculous as they ran out of things to 'spy') and eventually drifted off.

* * *

She was woken some time before dawn by a loud noise, followed quickly by yells from outside her tent. Intense heat and light surrounded her and she realized with horror that the tent was on fire. If she had been thinking clearly she might have tried to put the flames out, but as it was she was half-asleep and all she could do was panic. She coughed as smoke began filling her lungs, and finally roused herself enough to see that Imoen was there too, looking as bewildered as she felt. She grabbed her hand, knowing that Imoen never woke as easily as she did, and prepared to push through the burning entrance. Almost immediately she was doused in a torrent of cold water.

She looked around in confusion, trying to make out what was happening through the sudden downpour. Their campsite was in ruins—it looked like a fireball had torn through it and the tents were still smoldering despite the rain. She saw that Garrick and Ajantis must have been on watch. The paladin was kneeling over Garrick, who was lying on the ground. Khalid was fighting a short figure a few feet away while Jaheira was staring at the sky with her arms raised and her eyes glowing softly. The druid blinked a few times and relaxed, and the rain stopped almost as quickly as it had begun. She turned to Khalid and rushed to join him.

Silandra saw that Ajantis was healing Garrick; he'd probably be okay, so she followed Jaheira, still pulling along Imoen.

"Hey, I'm awake, I'm awake!" Imoen cried.

Silandra let her go and the two drew closer to the fighting. Khalid was holding his own, but barely—the dwarf he was fighting was evidently much stronger than he and fully armored whereas Khalid was only wearing a simple tunic and trousers. Jaheira's bullets didn't seem to be able to penetrate the thick chain, and even Khalid's sword barely seemed to injure the dwarf himself. Silandra let lose a magic missile when there was an opening, but the dwarf shrugged it off, ignoring her and focusing on Khalid.

Ajantis and Garrick came over but didn't join the fight. Silandra had only a moment of confusion before she realized—they couldn't see in the dark, not like she and the half-elves could. She created a small mage light, a simple enough spell which lit up the area well enough for humans to see, or so she hoped. Ajantis nodded to her in thanks and ran towards the dwarf, who was beginning to back Khalid against a tree.

It was Garrick who finally succeeded in bringing the dwarf down—a lucky hit, right in the neck where the armor ended. It was fitting, Silandra thought, for she was sure this was the same assassin who had so very nearly murdered her with a crossbow. The dwarf grabbed at his neck but the blood was coming too fast; he was dead in moments.

"So much for keeping him alive," said Jaheira. "Probably better we didn't; he was more dangerous than I expected."

"What _happened_?" Silandra asked, looking around at their campsite in dismay. Their tents were ruined, though the contents might be salvageable due to Jaheira's quick thinking. She was pretty impressed by that spell, and wondered how long it took to learn how to call a thunderstorm.

"He threw something into the camp," said Ajantis. He looked upset, despondent even, though Silandra wasn't sure why. They had all survived, hadn't they? "We didn't see him. One moment the night was peaceful and then everything was on fire."

"A potion of explosions perhaps," said Jaheira, examining some fragments on the ground. "We were lucky to survive. Garrick, are you alright?"

The bard's tunic was scorched beyond repair, but otherwise he seemed well enough, if not a little shaken. "Ajantis healed me," he said, nodding.

"I think th-this was the impact p-p-point," said Khalid, indicating a badly charred spot near the campfire—closest to Silandra and Imoen's tent, but thankfully not near enough to hit them directly.

"It is fortunate that he did not have better aim," Jaheira said. "Let us pick up what we can and move. It will be dawn in an hour and there is no point in lingering here."

Naturally, Imoen went over to the dwarf's body to relieve him of his valuables. Silandra approached their ruined tent and was glad to find that both their packs and bedrolls were more or less intact—the tent had taken the brunt of the flames.

"Another bounty notice!" Imoen said, holding up a roll of parchment.

Of course. Silandra sighed. "What does this one say?"

"Same thing," said Imoen. "Oh, but now you're worth more!"

Silandra actually found she was glad Montaron and Xzar were no longer around. She had to admit, at least to herself, that a rising bounty on her head may have proven too tempting for them. If not this time, perhaps the next. She realized she was taking it for granted that there would be more attempts. This particular assassin had been tough too and she could only expect them to get stronger. She hoped her small group would be enough.

They left the remains of their tents, which made for lighter loads, but Silandra knew there would be at least another night spent outside before arriving in Nashkel and she hoped the weather held. Sleeping under the stars could be nice, given the right circumstances.

This time she wasn't hemmed in by the two half-elves and, since she figured the danger was probably past for now, she left her hood down. She didn't particularly like the feel of it around her face.

"My lady, I'm sorry," said Ajantis, falling into step beside her. "I failed you again."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I should have seen that man coming, or at least sensed him. You or the others could have been hurt or… or worse."

"But I wasn't. And I don't think even Khalid or Jaheira could have predicted he'd firebomb out camp. Ajantis, you cannot blame yourself every time someone nearly kills me. I expect it will be happening a lot in future."

He frowned. "A lady like you should be able to live in peace," he said. "If these assassins were not after you, what would you be doing instead?"

Silandra thought about that for a moment. "If the assassins were the reason Gorion took me away from Candlekeep then I suppose that, without them, I would still be there. I'd be doing my lessons and chores, being bored but safe I suppose. Though I always did have an interest in adventuring, you know. Maybe Imoen and I would have snuck out some day. We used to talk about it."

"But it is so dangerous on the road, especially in times like these," Ajantis said.

"Yes, more so than I realized. But I used to love reading stories of heroes and… I suppose I wanted to become one myself."

Ajantis nodded. "A noble goal. I am glad you feel that way, my lady, although… never mind."

"What is it?" Silandra asked, peering at him curiously.

He looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. "I should be paying attention to our surroundings. There may be more assassins out there. Excuse me, my lady."

She watched, confused, as he hurried towards the front of the group. She sighed and focused on walking. It was another nice day at least, and she entertained herself by watching the squirrels running up and down the nearby trees. She knew some powerful mages had familiars and wondered what it would take to have one of her own. Though maybe, considering her circumstances, she should think about getting something a little more formidable than a squirrel.

They encountered a group of hobgoblins that afternoon. The terrain was hilly now and the road twisted around large rocks so that visibility was low, but Imoen was able to give the group sufficient warning due to her sneaking skills. She wasn't actually able to identify the creatures properly, calling them 'big orc things'.

Like the other monsters they had encountered so far, Silandra recognized them from all the reading she used to do back in Candlekeep, though it was always different seeing creatures in the flesh. They were only about six feet tall, so not _that_ big, though they were thickly muscled. They had skin ranging in color from a mottled orange to sickly yellow and wore crude leather armor.

The first ones they encountered had swords which were showing signs of rust, whether due to the current iron situation or neglect it was hard to tell. They were dispatched easily enough, but then a few arrows whizzed towards them from the shelter of some nearby trees. Ajantis blocked one that would have hit Silandra with his shield before charging towards the source. She almost ran after that near miss, but she made herself stay put. She hated how exposed she felt, standing there in the open with no way of defending herself. She couldn't even see the attackers to fire magic missiles or darts at them, and a sleep spell was dangerous when she could not see her targets—there was no guarantee she would not affect her companions instead. She inched forward with Imoen while the others charged in with melee weapons. She was surprised that Garrick didn't hang back after how timid he had seemed so far, but he had his short sword out and was joining the fight. She supposed hobgoblins were not quite as intimidating as ogrillons.

She saw now that they had stumbled upon the hobgoblins' campsite, consisting of a firepit and a few crude tents. She wondered what they were doing camped out here in the middle of the afternoon, in plain sight of the main road. She supposed she would never know—by the time she and Imoen reached the hobgoblin archers they were all dead. Khalid and Ajantis had taken the brunt of the onslaught, but most of the arrows had gone into their shields and the ones that had hit them were stopped from doing too much damage by their armor. Jaheira healed them both, since Ajantis could only use the healing power Helm had granted him once a day and he had healed Garrick that morning.

"Maybe we could take their tents," Imoen suggested.

Silandra wrinkled her nose at the idea. If they smelled anything like the hobgoblins she'd rather do without.

Thankfully, Jaheira agreed. "I am not sure that would be wise," she said. "Hobgoblins are not the most sanitary of creatures. We will look for anything of value and then walk another hour or so before setting our own camp."

They scrounged around the hobgoblins' tents, most of them covering their noses, but for the most part all they found were bits of food and it was not the kind any of them wanted to try eating. Imoen typically made a beeline for the biggest tent, probably thinking it would be the most likely to have treasure. If she found any, she didn't say, but she was holding a scroll when she emerged.

"This is some letter… or at least I think it is," she said. "I can't read it, if it's a real language."

"Goblin, probably," said Jaheira. "Give it to Khalid."

Khalid looked uncomfortable at the attention he was suddenly receiving as he took the parchment and began to read. "I'm not f-fluent," he said. "B-but it appears these h-h-hobgoblins were on their way to join a mercenary g-group. The Ch-chill?"

"I think I've heard of them before. A bandit group made of creatures like these," Jaheira said, frowning slightly. "Anything else?"

"N-not that I can m-make out," Khalid said. "This is b-badly written, even for a h-hobgoblin."

"Could this have anything to do with the bandit activity in the region?" Ajantis asked. "Perhaps the Chill are the ones responsible!"

"Possibly, but… I am not sure they would be so willing to work with humans," said Jaheira. "Most of the reported attacks were by humans, including the one on us. It is not something we can ignore, however. For now we must continue to Nashkel, but afterwards we can seek more information about these Chill hobgoblins."

They continued along the road for a while longer before settling down for the night. There was not exactly a lot to set up this time since their tents were gone, but they laid their bedrolls out and Khalid gathered wood for the fire as usual.

"Please, let me light it again," said Silandra. "I'll never get better if I can't practice."

Jaheira pursed her lips a moment, and finally nodded. "Very well. Everyone stand back."

Silandra was a little miffed at the excessively wide berth her companions gave her. Her flame last night had only been a little bigger than necessary. She forced her mind to calm and concentrated harder this time, and only a trickle of fire issued from her fingertips—just enough to gently light the kindling. She looked at Jaheira, feeling very pleased with herself, but got indifference in return. Well, maybe _one_ day Jaheira would come to appreciate her skills.


	8. Chapter 8

They arrived in Nashkel the following afternoon without further incident. This was a much smaller town than Beregost, mostly made up of farms with only a few buildings along the main street. Jaheira had, of course, made Silandra put up her hood the moment the first farmhouse came into view. As they neared the inn they were approached by a group of Amnian soldiers, easily identifiable by their uniforms. Silandra had not considered it before but they were technically in Amn now, though Nashkel tended to retain some amount of independence. The advancing soldiers did not look particularly friendly.

"Let me talk to them," she whispered to the others.

"You there, identify yourselves!" The soldier who spoke glared down at her, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He was of middle years and had a stern look about him, especially now.

"I am Silandra and these are my traveling companions," Silandra said. She was not sure why this man appeared so hostile, but this was one area where she knew she excelled. She smiled, though was careful not to actually charm him. She would do that only if it proved necessary.

"And what is your purpose here in Nashkel?" the soldier asked, though he was no longer frowning quite so deeply. Behind him, his men were beginning to relax too.

"We are here to meet the mayor about the problems with the mine," said Silandra. "I believe he is expecting my companions, Khalid and Jaheira."

"I see," the man said, all traces of aggression finally leaving him."We welcome you if you are seeking to resolve our troubles. Things have not gone well for us here as of late and we are wary of outsiders. Please, allow me to escort you to the mayor myself." He actually smiled slightly, though the expression did not seem to suit him. It must not be something he did often.

Silandra thought she heard Imoen giggle, but ignored it. "Of course," she said. "That would be lovely. Thank you."

"I am Captain Bardolan by the way," the man said as he led Silandra and her companions along the road, his troops flanking them.

"Nice to meet you," said Silandra. "Perhaps you could tell us what has been happening around here."

"Our iron is rotten and there is talk of demons in the mines. And then there is what happened with Commander Brage… they stripped him of that title after what he did but I use it yet. He killed his wife and children in a rage one night and all who saw him. He ran off into the hills. We… mourn for him, almost as much as for those he killed. But I'm sorry, my lady, I should not speak of such things. Our little town has much more to offer than misery."

"I'm sorry to hear about your commander. We may not be able to do anything about him but I hope we will at least be able to take care of the mines. This is your temple? It's beautiful."

"Oh yes," said Bardolan. "We revere Helm here."

Silandra turned to Ajantis. "Hear that? Maybe you'd like to visit."

"Of course, my lady," said Ajantis. For some reason he looked a little strained. "I cannot miss the opportunity when it arises."

"Here we are, Mayor Berrun Ghastkill," Bardolan said, coming to a stop.

The mayor was probably somewhere in his fifties, but he was lightly armored and still looked strong. He held a bow at the ready, and Silandra wondered whether that was normal or a precaution considering the current dangers in the area.

"Mayor, this is Silandra and her companions, here to solve our problems I hope," Bardolan said.

"Thank you, Bardolan. You may resume your patrol," the mayor said, and turned to greet Silandra. "I see Khalid and Jaheira in your group. I have been expecting you. I am Berrun Ghastkill, mayor of Nashkel, and I am happy to welcome you. I am sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."

"What exactly is the problem here?" Jaheira asked. "The captain mentioned demons in the mines."

"I don't know that there are really demons down there, but there's _something_," Berrun said. "We'll have to shut the mines completely if things don't improve. Our workers keep going missing and what ore we manage to get is tainted somehow. I would send in the town guards but we need them to protect our citizens from the bandits. If you could find out what's going on down in the mines we'd be indebted to you."

"We will do what we can," said Jaheira.

"I don't suppose anyone else has come to meet you?" Silandra asked. "We were traveling with two others who were also coming to see you about the mines but they disappeared."

"Ah, yes, Xzar and Montaron?" the mayor said. "They were here yesterday with a dwarf, said they'd help but took off to the west with a Red Wizard. Should have known they were untrustworthy, but we've been getting desperate, as you can imagine."

"I see," said Silandra. She was unsure what to make of that, though she knew a Red Wizard in the area could only mean trouble. "Thank you."

"I'm sure you are tired from your travels," said the mayor. "Get some rest and if you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask. We may be a small town but there are good folk here."

"Thanks again," said Silandra, and turned to her companions. "To the inn then?"

"If you do not mind, my lady, I would like to visit the temple first," said Ajantis. "I will not be long. You could… join me, if you would like."

"You know I do not revere Helm, Ajantis," Silandra said. "I mean, not like that."

"But have you ever entered one of his temples before?"

Of course, she had not. She looked towards the temple, which had a small cemetery out the front. Many of the graves looked fresh. The temple itself was ornate compared to the surrounding buildings; she had meant it when she called it beautiful before and would ordinarily have been excited to enter such a place, if only to see if the interior matched. But she found herself hesitating. There was a plaque over the doorway with the All Seeing Eye of Helm etched into it. Something about that eye made her feel uneasy, as if it was looking at her, judging her.

"There was only a shrine to Oghma in Candlekeep. I think… I will let you go by yourself, this time. I am sure you would prefer to pray in peace."

"Very well," said Ajantis. She thought he was blushing a little. "I will see you at the inn shortly."

He left quickly, and Silandra felt a little bad. But she did not want to go inside that building.

"Aww, I think you hurt his feelings," said Imoen.

"He'll be fine," Silandra said. "I don't need him trying to convert me to Helm."

"Yeah, I mean, you know I think you should just pick a god already, but Helm seems a little too strict for you," Imoen said.

"Definitely," Silandra said, not wanting to tell her what she was feeling. After all, she could not think of how to explain it.

* * *

Ajantis had been looking forward to arriving in Nashkel for a few reasons. Not only was he eager to help get to the bottom of the iron crisis, a noble venture which was sure to aid him in his quest of becoming a fully-fledged knight, but he wanted to pay his respects to Helm properly at one of his temples. He had intended to visit the temple in Baldur's Gate, but the city had been closed to him and this was his next opportunity.

Initially, he had planned on asking for Helm's judgement on his path so far. But since joining Silandra and her companions he had developed a few…uncertainties that required addressing. He worried that he was not upholding his duty as well as he should. He was supposed to be an ever-vigilant protector to those in need, and the lady Silandra certainly fell into that category. Yet he had been failing miserably in that regard since joining her group. He had only saved her the first time because she had charmed him, for she was right—without her help, he probably _would_ have just stood there staring at her instead of taking action. After all, he had never seen someone as… striking… as her before. It had not helped that at the time, she was only wearing a skimpy nightdress.

That brought him to his other concern. He worried he may be developing inappropriate feelings for her. She was very beautiful of course, but he was soon to become a knight and he must be strong enough to look past such things. He definitely could not afford to be distracted when she was in such danger, and it was unbecoming of a soon-to-be knight to be upset when other men looked at her as the captain had been. Of course they would look at her. How could they not?

There was another thing that concerned him about Silandra. He sensed a good heart and her actions thus far were in line with his own values, but there was something he could not place, something that bothered him. She was half-nymph, and nymphs were creatures of light. She had been raised by a good man in a place of learning. He was unsure how she could be anything but a force of goodness so he found it strange that he had this feeling about her. The fact she revered no god was troubling, but could be amended, though he knew such things could not be forced. If only she would have accompanied him this evening… but maybe it was for the best she did not. He may have found it hard to concentrate and he had many questions.

The old priest greeted him warmly when he entered but did not try to engage in conversation. Likely he sensed his need to commune with his god.

Ajantis took one of the small chambers made for private contemplation and cleared his mind of anything that was not pertinent at this time. It was not long before he felt Helm's presence—he did not actually speak to him directly, but he knew he was listening and could sense his approval of his current path. That was a relief, but it was what he had been expecting.

Ajantis let his thoughts shift to the lady Silandra—what did Helm think of her?

The response startled him. Helm did not disapprove exactly but it almost sounded as if he were unsure what to think. How could a god be uncertain of anything? Ajantis frowned. Maybe he misunderstood.

Ajantis eventually got up. He would have liked to linger longer, but he knew he should get back to Silandra and the others. He was still concerned for her safety what with all the assassination attempts. That was something he wished he could get to the bottom of. She was not the kind of woman who should be out on the road in fear for her life. She should be in a noble house in a city with her every desire tended to. He felt his cheeks warm at the thought, because of course he imagined himself being the one looking after her. He composed himself and headed to the main part of the temple, where the priest was speaking with a woman. He almost left with only a wave of acknowledgment, but Helm had not left him yet and was warning him.

Ajantis examined the woman more closely. She had the look of a war priest though he could not see her holy symbol. She wore well-tended chain armor and carried no weapon—no doubt she was able to summon one when necessary. She glanced towards him, and he thought he saw a glimmer of uncertainty cross her features briefly before she replaced it with a charming smile. Her face was fair, but she was evil.

"Greetings, Sir Knight," she said lightly. "Perhaps _you_ could help me. I am looking for a woman who I understand is to be passing through here very soon. You'd know her if you met her. She's got fey blood. Very beautiful, I hear."

"What do you want with this woman?" Ajantis asked, doing his best to keep himself calm.

"She is in danger, I believe," the priestess said. "It is my duty to help women like her. You understand, I'm sure."

"You are after the bounty, aren't you?" Ajantis asked. "Admit it, fiend!"

The woman's smile only faltered for a moment. "Of course not. I seek only to offer her my services as—"

"You cannot lie to me in Helm's presence!" Ajantis cried. He would not attack another within the temple, and he thought the woman knew this. But he felt Helm was with him still, almost overcoming him.

Fear flashed across the woman's features and she turned to run, but an ethereal fist swung towards her from Ajantis and knocked her out cold. Ajantis blinked a few times. He was alone once more, Helm having retreated so that he was only a faint warmth in the back of his mind as he had been ever since he called Ajantis to serve him.

"Helm sees all," the priest said, looking upon the prone woman with approval. He did not seem surprised, but perhaps he had seen such things before in his long life. "Should I call for the guards?"

"Yes, this woman should be locked up," said Ajantis. He was in awe at what had just happened and found it difficult to speak. "I'm quite sure she wanted to murder one of my traveling companions. We would like to question her."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," the priest said. He rang a small bell beside the altar, which made no sound that Ajantis could hear but must have sounded the alert outside, for moments later a few Amnian soldiers entered.

"What's the problem?" It was Captain Bardolan.

"This woman meant to harm Silandra," Ajantis said, trying to ignore the irrational twinge of dislike. The captain seemed to be a good man and even if he _did_ like Silandra, he had at least treated her with nothing but respect. "If you search her I am certain you will find a bounty notice which should suffice as evidence. I am sure you will want to put her in prison, but my companions and I have some questions to ask of her."

"Why would anyone put a bounty on a lady like Silandra?" Bardolan asked, frowning.

"Would that I knew myself," Ajantis said. "We are hoping we will be able to get the answers we need by interrogating this woman."

"Of course," said Bardolan. "I don't know whether we can hold her long on such a charge, if she didn't actually get to the point of violence, but we can at least keep her until you're long gone. Come by the garrison any time before you leave if you want to see her."

"I expect we will be heading into the mines tomorrow, so we will likely visit this evening," said Ajantis. "Thank you, Captain."

Soon Ajantis was on his way to the inn. He was glad that for once, he had been able to protect Silandra from one of her attackers. His failures so far had been weighing upon him heavily. He was grateful for Helm's assistance, but he only hoped he himself would be more adept at fulfilling his role as protector from now on.

* * *

Silandra was thinking that perhaps they should just order their food without waiting for Ajantis when he showed up. Almost immediately, Imoen signaled the innkeeper to bring them a meal. He was the only one staffing the place; he was all that was necessary with how empty it was. There were only two other tables occupied, by men who looked to be farmers. Silandra was worried about their chances of renting three rooms for the night when she saw the size of the place but it had not been a problem. The innkeeper just seemed happy to be getting the business.

"How's Helm?" Imoen asked as Ajantis drew near.

The paladin looked taken aback and it took him a moment to form words, but when he spoke he did not answer her question. "There was another assassin in the temple. She is being held in a cell in the garrison and Captain Bardolan has agreed to let us question her."

"We should go immediately," Jaheira said, beginning to stand.

"Can't we eat first?" Imoen asked.

"I'm starving," said Silandra. "Let's eat so I have enough energy."

"What would you be needing energy for?" Jaheira asked.

"Well, if she does not cooperate then I will charm her," Silandra said.

"I see," said Jaheira, settling back down. "Normally I do not like such abilities being used on people, but in this case I suppose it is appropriate."

"What, did you think we were going to torture her or something?" Silandra asked, horrified at the thought.

"Of c-course not!" Khalid said quickly. "But you know Jaheira can be very um…"

"Scary?" Imoen finished.

"That's not what I was g-going to say!" Khalid protested.

"But it is what you were thinking, and you are right I suppose," Jaheira said, smiling faintly. "Very well, we shall eat first and then question this assassin. How did you come to capture her, Ajantis?"

The paladin took the only empty seat, between Garrick and Khalid. "My power is stronger in the presence of Helm. It was easy for me to detect her evil when I saw her in the temple. She was asking after Silandra, claiming to want to offer her protection. Helm saw through her lies and smote her down. I suppose he did not approve of her actions within his home."

"Wow, gods do that?" Imoen asked, leaning forward eagerly. "I thought that only happened in stories. Wonder if Tymora does the same?"

"I think she's a little less… forceful," said Garrick.

"I trust all went well for you here?" Ajantis said.

"We were discussing what Xzar and Montaron might be up to with a Red Wizard," said Silandra. "They said they were going to investigate the mines but that's not the direction they headed."

"There is nothing much west of here, only wilderness and a gnoll fortress," Jaheira said. "The innkeeper was very helpful in that regard."

"You encountered some Red Wizards in Beregost, did you not?" Ajantis asked.

"We did consider whether the incidents could be related," said Jaheira. "After all, you don't see many of them around here. Perhaps the wild mage they were after went south instead of heading towards the Friendly Arm."

"I think they are up to something, and we should follow them," said Silandra. "Maybe that mage needs help."

"We have a quest and we should stick to it," said Jaheira. "Besides, we do not know where exactly they have gone. We would have no hope of finding them in the wilderness."

Silandra knew Jaheira was right, but she was still upset about her turning away that mage in Beregost and was worried she might be in danger once again. She also wanted to give Montaron and Xzar a piece of her mind. She did not like being abandoned like that, not after she had done her best to stick up for them.

Their food arrived and it was good despite being a little light on vegetables. The innkeeper apologized, saying there were not enough people to properly work the farms so they were rationing what they currently had. They couldn't linger long over their meal anyway, now that they had an assassin to interrogate.

They left after they were done eating. Although Silandra thought her hood hid her well enough, she felt uncomfortable being outside in the dark. If anyone was going to attack her here it seemed now would be the time to do it. Hopefully the woman Ajantis had apprehended was the only assassin looking for her in Nashkel.

The garrison was only a few buildings down the street. It was comparable in size to the inn though Silandra expected most of the space was probably taken up by bunks. There seemed to be a lot of soldiers in this small town. Captain Bardolan had been expecting them and let them in himself.

"It is nice to see you again, Silandra," he said. "I can't believe anyone would want you dead! We searched the woman as Ajantis suggested and he was right; she was holding a bounty notice."

"May I see it?" Silandra asked.

"Of course," Bardolan said, lifting a piece of parchment from the nearby desk.

"I'm worth more now," Silandra said, reading the notice with a slight frown. "And this time my 'well-armed traveling companions' are mentioned. Yet this woman thought she could take us alone?"

"The Lord of Shadows has power you could never hope to understand!" came a female voice from a barred door across the room.

Silandra raised an eyebrow and began heading over, her companions following.

"You're not going to… you know… make a mess, are you?" Bardolan asked, looking uncomfortable. He hurried over to unlock the door regardless of his concerns.

"We are not going to torture her, if that's what you mean," said Silandra. "I have a much cleaner method in mind if she does not want to cooperate."

The jail cells were a few feet from the main entrance and there were only two of them. They were clean enough but tiny, and only one was occupied. The woman within was simply sitting on the ground in a position that suggested meditation, though she looked the opposite of tranquil.

"Your Lord of Shadows did not see fit to prevent you from being chained here," Silandra said, looking down at the woman who wanted to kill her. She didn't _look_ much like an assassin. She was quite pretty, really, even now when she was glowering at her.

"I won't be here long," the woman said. "He will come through for me as he always does."

"Think that if you wish," said Silandra. "Where did you get this bounty notice from?"

"You think I would tell you my secrets?" the woman scoffed. "Never."

"Tell me or I will make you."

The priestess stared at her in silence, a mocking smile on her face. Well, the hard way it was. Not that charming people was usually hard, but Silandra expected it to be a little more difficult when her target was hostile. She was prepared for it though. She gazed into the woman's eyes for a few seconds, not saying a word. She knew the moment the priestess felt her influence, for she fought back. But Silandra was able to hold on, at least for a short while.

"You should relax," she said, though she found each word an effort. "My friend Jaheira has a few questions to ask you." She had not realized this would be so difficult to maintain and had not planned on being unable to do the questioning herself.

"Of course," the woman said, her smile looking genuine now.

"What is your name?" Jaheira asked.

"I am Neira, devoted servant of Mask," the priestess said, not taking her eyes off Silandra. She almost sounded cheerful.

"Who gave you the bounty notice you were carrying?"

"I did not see them. I'm connected to the right channels of course so it came to me that way."

"Explain these channels."

Neira did _not_ want to answer that. Silandra grit her teeth and held on, but it was becoming harder by the second.

"Well, when you are a bounty hunter like I am, there's a certain type you like to associate with. As long as you are wearing one of these rings you are alerted whenever there's a new bounty available in your area. Tap on a blank piece of parchment and there you have it. All the information you need."

"Wow, that's actually pretty neat!" Imoen said, examining the dark jeweled ring that the priestess was displaying proudly.

"Oh yes, I thought so too," Neira said, smiling. "It has made my life ever so much easier, and this way I don't have to get near others in the same line of work. That tends to turn out messy."

"So you have no way of knowing the source of this message?"

"Well, mages send them of course. And as I understand it, there is some kind of limit on the distance they can cover. I was enjoying myself at the carnival when the message arrived, so whoever sent it probably isn't too far away. Beregost or the Friendly Arm, if they're near civilization and not holed up in a dingy cave."

"A carnival?" Garrick perked up. "That sounds fun."

"Maybe we can go after the mines," said Imoen.

"Oh yes, it is quite entertaining," Neira said. "Even better, with so many of the townsfolk dead or missing the lines are much shorter!"

Silandra could feel sweat trickling down her face as she strained to hold the priestess. Her mind was strong and she did not appreciate being made to reveal her secrets. She knew she had to let go or she would probably pass out, and so she did, breathing heavily.

"Sil, you okay?" Imoen asked, looking at her in concern.

"Fine," Silandra said. "I just need to rest."

Neira was furious. Her hands moved to cast a spell, but the chains holding her were evidently made to contain magic and nothing happened.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" she shrieked. "Now I will never get out of here alive!"

"You will have a chance to speak for yourself," Ajantis said, looking upon her with distaste. "You will likely get off with a warning. I suggest you heed it well."

"You have doomed me!" Neira cried. "They do not take it likely when someone divulges their secrets."

"You will be safe enough in this cage," Jaheira said imperiously. "I would kill you myself if you were not under the authority of the Nashkel guards."

"Do it!" Neira said, and for once she actually looked afraid. "It will be a kinder death than the one they'll give me."

"I'm afraid I cannot help you," Jaheira said. "Come, let us get some rest."

The woman continued to scream after them, cursing Silandra and paladins and Helm, and finally herself for entering the temple to begin with. Silandra found it hard to walk; she was suddenly exhausted.

"My lady, are you alright?" Ajantis asked. "Here, take my arm."

She did so gratefully, but was too spent to even try forming words.

"Will she recover?" Captain Bardolan asked, looking concerned.

"She will be fine after she rests," said Jaheira. "Thank you for your help, Captain."

"Of course," Bardolan said. "There may be others looking to collect the bounty. Aside from this woman, the only other strangers in town are a monk and a barbarian, the latter being in bed with a concussion. I do not think they are the type but… please allow me to put a few of my men at your disposal. They will keep guard at the inn while you rest."

"That is very generous of you," said Jaheira. "We would appreciate being able to have an uninterrupted sleep as we must leave early tomorrow."

It seemed like forever before they were back at the inn, though it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Ajantis half carried Silandra to her room, with Imoen trailing anxiously. Silandra slumped onto her bed with a sigh.

"Thanks Ajantis," said Imoen. "I'll uh… get her ready for bed."

That of course got Ajantis out of the room quickly, and Silandra was just awake enough to giggle before passing out.


	9. Chapter 9

It was dark, as it almost always seemed to be on the rare occasions she dreamed. She was in a dank prison cell and she was sure her final intact dress was getting ruined by the grime—or would be, if she was not so sure this wasn't real. What's more, she was not alone.

"I told you," came the voice, familiar only because she'd heard it so soon before sleeping.

She turned and saw her—Neira, the priestess who had sought the bounty on her head. The dream version of Neira was dead, the dark bruises on her neck indicating strangulation, yet she apparently had no trouble speaking.

"You did this," Neira said, her voice as light and cheerful as when she had been charmed. "You forced me to betray them. Told you they would come for me, didn't I? But this is your calling after all. Murder. It's what you were born to do."

"I didn't kill you," Silandra said. "I can't deny I would have liked to I guess, if only to protect myself. But I didn't."

"You could have. Charm the guards; they'd let you in. I was chained, couldn't fight you… but even though you weren't the physical force you _did_ cause my death."

"No!" Silandra cried. Her vision swam for a moment, and she thought she heard another voice though Neira was the only other person in the cell.

_Murder. It is what you were born to do_.

She realized it was coming from within. It wasn't real—none of this was. She would kill to defend herself, yes, but she was no murderer.

Neira melted away into the darkness, and she was replaced with another figure, one Silandra knew well.

"Gorion," she murmured. "You're dead."

"Of course," he said. "You killed me."

"No I didn't. That one assassin in Candlekeep, that's the only person I ever killed myself and he deserved it." Even as she said that though, she wondered how accurate it really was. She had contributed to the deaths of others, even if she had not been the one to land the killing blow.

"But it was your presence that killed me. Or was it your abandonment? You could have stayed, given the man what he wanted. I would still be alive."

"No," Silandra said firmly. "He would have killed you anyway. I'm not listening to this. You're not Gorion."

She turned to walk away, forgetting for the moment her cell. She rattled the bars.

"Hey, let me out of here!" she cried.

There was nothing in the blackness before her; it was as though the cell hung in a vast nothingness.

_You will learn_.

* * *

She woke with a start, sweating heavily. Disgusting. There was no window in this room so she did not know the time, but from the complete silence around her she could only assume it was still dark outside. She made her way over to the washbasin to splash water on her face. The only light came from the crack beneath the door, barely enough even for her to see by, but maybe that was for the best. She was sure she must look terrible.

She began to comb her hair, for lack of anything better to do. She always found the motion soothing, and that was something she needed right now. She knew she could not go back to sleep if she tried.

She was nearly done when she heard a ruckus in the room next to hers. It sounded like fighting, and someone was yelling about a witch. Another assassin? She glanced at Imoen, still asleep. That girl could sleep through anything. She decided against waking her for the moment. Instead, she grabbed her dagger and ran to the door. She opened it just an inch and saw two soldiers trying to hold back a huge bald man.

"My witch!" he roared, his eyes wild.

Strangely enough, Sil actually thought he looked more upset than truly angry. In fact, there were tears in his eyes. She opened the door further and slipped outside, not letting go of her dagger.

"Hey, what's the problem?" she asked in her most soothing voice.

The man stopped his struggles for a moment, to the obvious relief of those holding him, and turned to look at her.

"My witch is in danger!" he cried.

Then he actually broke down in tears, all signs of aggression gone, and collapsed to the floor. Silandra looked down at him, perplexed. She had never seen such a big man before. He had to be almost seven feet tall and the thin tunic he was wearing did nothing to hide his impressive musculature. He had a large purple tattoo on his head, which extended down over one of his eyes. Overall, the effect might have ordinarily been quite fearsome. But right now, he looked like a lost child. She ignored the soldiers, who were now staring at her, and knelt beside the man.

"I'm Silandra," she said softly. "Maybe I can help you. You should settle down though and give these men a break, alright?"

The man sniffed and nodded, then unexpectedly threw his arms around her and cried into her chest. She was only then aware of her state of undress. Almost right on cue, she heard Jaheira behind her.

"Silandra, what have I said about _clothing_ yourself?" she admonished.

Silandra herself was a little uncomfortable with this position, but the man crying on her wasn't making any obscene motions. He really did seem like a giant child. She glanced back to see that all her companions except Imoen were now there. If they had been sleeping unclothed they had at least remedied that before grabbing weapons and running out to the hall. She personally preferred to think of safety before decency. Garrick was staring, as if unable to help himself, his face beet red. Ajantis and Khalid were predictably looking away, and she rolled her eyes.

"It really doesn't matter. We need to help this man," she said, and turned to look back at him. "What's your name?"

"We are Minsc and Boo," the man said, leaning back and wiping his nose.

"Boo?" Silandra repeated, confused.

As if he'd been listening to their conversation, a tiny furry creature popped up out of the front of Minsc's tunic and crawled into Silandra's lap. It was a hamster, orange and white and really very cute. Silandra smiled down at it.

"Boo is the realm's only miniature giant space hamster and my partner in butt kicking," Minsc said solemnly. "But even Minsc and Boo together could not save our witch!"

He looked about to start crying all over again, and Silandra thought quickly.

"Don't worry Minsc… and Boo," she said. "We will help you save your witch, whatever it takes. You don't need to be sad anymore, alright?"

Minsc nodded miserably, hiccupping.

"My friends and are I are going to get ready and then we will meet you downstairs for some breakfast. You can tell us all about your witch and we will work something out." Silandra said. "How does that sound?"

"Okay," said Minsc. "You are a very kind lady."

Silandra just smiled and stood to face her companions and the two bewildered looking guards.

"The mines will have to wait," she said. "We are helping Minsc and Boo save their witch."

She headed back into her room without another word, where Imoen was just now rubbing her eyes.

"Somethin' goin' on out there?" she murmured sleepily.

"I can't believe you slept through that," said Silandra, removing her nightdress, the front of which was soaked from the giant man's tears. "We're going to help a man and his space hamster save their witch."

"Space hamster?" Imoen repeated, sighing and beginning to get ready.

"Oh yes," said Silandra. She washed herself as well as she could and began to dress for the day.

"Sounds crazy. But maybe I'm just not awake enough yet."

They headed downstairs to find their companions already seated. Minsc was there too, but this time he was clothed in heavy chain armor and a spiked helmet with a huge sword on his back. Silandra may have found him intimidating if he had not just been crying all over her.

"Are you feeling a little better Minsc?" she asked, taking a seat beside him. Her companions had given him a wide berth and Imoen took the seat on his other side.

"I think so," Minsc said. He did not even look like he had been crying.

"Do you want to tell us what happened from the beginning?" Silandra asked. "It may be easier to help you that way."

"We come from Rashemen," Minsc said. "I am on my dajemma and that means I must protect the witch Dynaheir. But… but I have failed."

"But you don't know that, right?" Imoen asked, obviously as intrigued as Silandra was by this strange man.

"Even Boo doesn't know," Minsc said, beginning to look miserable once more. "We were traveling near the gnoll stronghold to the west. But we were set upon in the night and they took her! Minsc and Boo would have followed but I hit my head. I woke up here, and the woman sitting beside me was talking about all the strange people coming through. She said there was a Red Wizard! And that means even more danger to my witch!"

"One of our patrols found him wandering the wilderness west of here, out of his mind," said the innkeeper, bringing over their breakfast. "He was hurt bad, but he's barely been conscious until this morning. Gave poor Rosie a shock, though she'll be alright."

"Sorry I scared the girl," said Minsc, and he did look contrite. "Sometimes I cannot contain myself. At the thought of a Red Wizard so very near, with my charge in the company of gnolls… it fills me with rage!"

"What about Boo?" Silandra asked, seeing that he was on the verge of an outburst. "How does he feel?"

Minsc stared down at the hamster, who was sitting on his plate nibbling on some bread.

"Boo says you are smart and we are lucky to have found such nice friends," he said, calming visibly.

"We have a place to be already," Jaheira said sternly.

"I understand, but Dynaheir could be in real danger," said Silandra. "And besides… look at him!"

She noticed that Ajantis _was_ looking at Minsc, with one of the most distinctly unfriendly expressions she had ever seen on the paladin's face.

"Ajantis, what's wrong?" she asked. "I thought you'd be eager to rescue a damsel in distress."

Ajantis smoothed his expression. "I'm sorry, my lady. I was just thinking," he said. "I would like to proceed to the mines with all haste, but you are right. We cannot ignore this woman in her time of need."

"Khalid, what do you think of this?" Silandra asked, wishing he would speak up more often.

"I th-think the m-m-mines are important," said Khalid. "But we c-cannot abandon a woman to gn-gnolls."

"Um, don't gnolls… you know… eat—" Garrick began.

"I'm sure she's fine," said Silandra loudly, not wanting Minsc upset any further. She could see how that could quickly turn dangerous. "We will rescue Dynaheir from the gnolls and then we will liberate the Nashkel mine from whatever demons may possess it!"

She felt very brave as she said that, though when she stopped to think about it she realized she really did not want to fight demons. She didn't even know if her group would be capable of such, and could only hope the accounts were exaggerated.

Just as they were getting ready to leave, Captain Bardolan entered the inn. He looked deathly pale, and Silandra knew immediately that something was wrong. She guessed what it may be, but she waited for him to speak first.

"Silandra," he said, his breathing labored as though he had been running. "I don't know how it happened but… someone got into the assassin's cell overnight and killed her."

"Was anyone else hurt?" Silandra asked.

"No—even the guards posted outside the cells were unharmed, thankfully, and they insisted they did not fall asleep but they must have. Either that or… I don't like to think that my men could be responsible, but I have to consider everything," Bardolan said, his expression darkening.

"But what if… I mean, they might not have done anything wrong," said Silandra quietly. "I… well, it's silly. Never mind."

"Silandra, what is it?" Jaheira demanded.

Silandra didn't want to talk about her dream, not in front of all these people and not right now. She thought quickly. "Maybe it was magic… the dark bounty hunting network she was a part of. She did say they would kill her. The guards may not be at fault. Maybe they were… coerced or…incapacitated."

"Be that as it may, this is a serious breach of the safety of our garrison, not to mention our town," Bardolan said.

"This may seem strange but… how was she killed?" Silandra asked. She just had to know.

The captain looked surprised, but only for a moment. "Strangled."

"I'm not sure how that matters," said Jaheira, glancing at Silandra. "I'm sorry captain. We're leaving today and I'm sure you'll have no further troubles."

"I don't blame you of course," the captain said quickly. "This is just…startling. You are heading directly to the mines I expect?"

"Well, we have to take a short detour… a woman is in danger to the west and we must save her first," said Silandra.

"I see," the captain said, though he didn't appear upset by this. "I wish you luck out there. I look forward to your return."

They took off from Nashkel at a brisk pace. Minsc took the lead, too anxious to hang back, and Imoen walked a few paces behind him with Garrick. She was still keeping an eye out for threats, though of course she wasn't going to be able to surprise anything with the noise Minsc was making up ahead. Every so often, Garrick began whistling. He was good at it, and Silandra could not blame him for wanting to join the birds on such a nice day, but Jaheira quickly put a stop to it each time. She herself would have liked to talk to Imoen—if she could discuss her strange dream with anyone it was her—but just as she was thinking about pulling her aside, Ajantis came to walk beside her.

"How are you this morning, my lady?" he asked.

"Well enough. What was wrong with you earlier?" she asked. "You did not seem very happy with Minsc. He's only upset because his friend is missing."

"He does not show proper respect to a… a lady of your station," Ajantis said stiffly.

"I'm not really a lady, you know," Silandra said. "I mean, it's nice that you think so. But my mother probably lived in the forest and for all I know, my dad was a beggar or a… a sewer cleaner or something. And Gorion was a mage of some renown, but he was not a noble."

"Forgive me, my—Silandra. I just mean… your… bearing, is that of a lady. Nevertheless, a man should show respect to any woman regardless of her social standing."

"I don't think he was showing a lack of respect. He was just upset. I think he's a little touched in the head. Maybe he got brain damage from his head wound. It sounds like it was pretty bad."

"You are correct, of course. I am sorry."

"Why don't you tell me something about Waterdeep? I've always wanted to go there. I mean, I want to go almost everywhere, but the City of Splendors sounds like such an interesting place."

Ajantis perked up at that just as she had expected he would, and he told her of his city, which quickly led to talk of his family. As she had come to expect, they were a noble house, merchants by trade. He was the youngest child, which was probably a good thing as his duties as a paladin would likely have interfered with his running the family business if he were to inherit one day. She got the impression he had lived an easy life, his parents being able to provide whatever he required. He didn't need to be journeying around the Sword Coast like this.

"What made you decide to become a paladin?" she asked. "I mean, you probably could have been anything you wanted."

"It is true that I was blessed to have a supportive family who could afford to give me a good education," Ajantis said. "My brother and I were trained with the sword from a young age, though it was intended for defense. My parents did not expect me to choose the path I did. I used to enjoy walking around the city when I did not have duties that required my presence. On one such occasion, there was a fight in the marketplace, a man accusing one of the vendors of cheating him. A group of paladins from the Order were there and I liked the way they handled it."

"So that's it?" Silandra asked, a little disappointed. "You just saw them and thought that was what you wanted to be?"

"Well, there's more to it than that of course. I had heard of the Order previously and had some interest, and I was already a follower of Helm. As it happened, that very evening some of the knights were present at a dinner held by a friend of my family's. Sir Keldorn Firecam saw something in me, and offered to train me. My parents wanted some time to think about it and I think they would have refused the offer, but later that same night Helm gave me his blessing and no one could ignore that. I left home for Athkatla with the knights and began my training."

"Just like that? How old were you?"

"Fifteen. Old enough to make such a choice. I have never had cause to doubt t."

"Being a paladin does seem to suit you. But your parents don't like it?"

"It just took some getting used to, especially for my mother. I think she expected me to always live close by, and now I spend most of my time in Athkatla at the Order headquarters."

"Do you at least visit often?"

"When I can. My training has left very little time for such things."

"Don't you miss them?"

"Of course. But we write often."

Silandra wondered what it must feel like to have a family and to be apart from them for so long. It was hard to imagine. Gorion looked after her, but he had never really felt like family. The closest was Imoen, and somehow Silandra felt it would be difficult to get away from her even if she wanted to. She smiled at the thought.

There seemed to be a commotion up ahead—not an attack thankfully, but Imoen and Garrick were standing over something on the ground, while Minsc stood a short distance away looking anxious.

"Jaheira, we need you!" Imoen called.

Jaheira ran ahead quickly, Khalid trailing her. Silandra frowned and ran to catch up. She and Ajantis had fallen behind a little during their conversation.

"He's dead, but she's still breathing," Imoen said. "Think you can save her?"

Now Silandra saw it—a dead man, his armor scorched all the way through from magic and his throat cut for good measure. Beside him lay a woman, a scrap of cloth staunching a nasty looking wound in her side. She was still conscious, though barely. Jaheira began to cast, and soon the woman's breathing returned to normal and she began to cough, a few specks of blood coming out.

"I thank you," she said, her voice hoarse. She pushed herself into a sitting position and looked down at the dead man. "It's as I thought. He's gone. Maybe it's for the best."

"What happened?" Imoen asked. "Who're you? Who…who was he?"

"I am Laryssa," the woman said quietly. "This man is… was… my cousin, Brage. Once a good man, until he lost his mind. I'd hoped he could be saved but… never mind. Some men came upon us, Brage challenged them and he lost. I tried pleading with them but they only turned on me when I went to his aid."

"Who were these men?" Jaheira asked, frowning. "Perhaps we can catch up with them."

"I doubt it," Laryssa said. "I'd been lying there for hours. Stomach wounds, you know? Guess I'm lucky you came along. I thank you for my life, though only wish…" She sighed, either unable or unwilling to go on.

"We heard about Commander Brage in Nashkel," Silandra said. "They told us he went mad."

"He did," said Laryssa. "No man loved his family more than he, it was unthinkable for him to do what he did. He was going places; everyone loved him. Got gifted a new sword only the day before, a nice one too, but those bastards that killed him stole it."

"I'm sorry we couldn't do anything for him," said Silandra.

"Would you mind describing the men who killed him?" Jaheira asked.

"Two wizards, one of them might've been from Thay. A dwarf and a halfling. They were a nasty bunch."

"So we're on the right path," Silandra said, feeling somewhat relieved despite the circumstances. She glanced at Minsc and decided he probably wasn't close enough to overhear the conversation. He looked like he was eager to get moving again. She was not sure whether she should disclose this information to him for the moment as she was unsure how he would react.

They left soon after. Laryssa insisted she would be fine. She was the only family Brage had left and she wanted to bury him alone. Silandra didn't think she should have to do that, but she knew Jaheira was already unhappy with this detour and would not be amenable to a further delay. Besides, maybe it was best to just respect the woman's wishes.

The mood of the party was somber after the incident, and they marched in relative silence until they reached a rocky area at the base of a mountain pass. Jaheira declared it would make a good camp site, and so they set up against the sheer rockface.

"I feel sad for Laryssa," said Imoen, adding the roots Jaheira had foraged to a rather watery soup. "Wish we coulda done more for her."

"I would have played a funeral song if she requested it," Garrick said. "But maybe I can play something else for you now, to cheer you up?"

"Might not work," Imoen said. It was odd for her to be this down, even after what they had just witnessed.

"You feeling okay Imoen?" Silandra asked.

"Yeah," Imoen said, forcing a smile. "Just… didn't think adventuring would have such sadness. Go on Garrick, give us your song."

Silandra expected Jaheira to speak against it, but she apparently decided it was safe enough for music tonight. While the music did not take away the sadness resulting from the encounter with Laryssa, Silandra did appreciate it, and she even saw Imoen smiling, almost as if nothing had happened. Garrick was not the most talented bard they had heard—Candlekeep was often visited by scholarly types with musical talents—but he was spirited and his voice was nice. Minsc particularly seemed to enjoy the music, though he was evidently still on edge without his witch.

Silandra could only hope they found this Dynaheir alive and well, for she did not like to think what he may do if they failed.


	10. Chapter 10

"Boo says he smells something off," Minsc announced.

It had begun raining heavily, which Silandra thought would have washed away any other scents. They had only been traveling for an hour or so, slowly making their way up the rocky mountain road. The water made the path more difficult but there wasn't any decent shelter to be found so they had decided they may as well press on. Minsc slowed down to sniff the air, and Silandra did the same. Mostly she just smelled the rain, but she also thought she got a faint whiff of something burning that should not be.

"The fire may be out by now, but we should still proceed with caution," Jaheira said.

It wasn't like it was easy to move along this particular path _without_ caution. It was steep and the rocks were made even more slippery by the rain, and although Silandra was more or less used to walking all day by now, it was a little different when it was all uphill.

Thankfully, the ground soon evened out and she looked around. It was not immediately obvious what she was looking at. The clearing was scorched as if a forest fire had torn through the area, though there wasn't enough kindling for that to be the case and Silandra could sense that magic had been involved.

Then she noticed the source of the burnt smell, the one that was so wrong. This had apparently been a village of some kind. There were burnt out husks throughout the area, some obviously the remnants of crude structures, but others smaller and disturbingly humanoid-shaped. Silandra took a few hesitant steps forward, unsure she wanted to get close enough to see what they were.

"They're not… children, are they?" Imoen asked. She was still back at the top of the mountain path, her eyes wide.

"Xvarts," Jaheira said. She evidently had no qualms about investigating the bodies closely, and was bending over one that wasn't quite so badly burned as the others. "More of a nuisance than a true threat. Whoever did this invaded their home. It is not right."

"But they are evil," Ajantis said, though he didn't sound too sure of that.

"They generally don't attack unless they feel threatened," Jaheira said. "Not all monsters are evil."

"You think Xzar did this?" Imoen asked. "It was magic, right?"

"I wouldn't put it past that madman," Jaheira said.

"I don't know if fire was really his style," Silandra said. "Maybe it was the Red Wizard he's with."

"Hey… I think there's something over there," Garrick said, pointing to a dark cave a short distance away.

Minsc perked up at this. He had been standing a short distance from the others, apparently talking to his hamster. This was something he did often, much to Jaheira's annoyance, but no one else seemed to mind. Silandra found it kind of endearing, and as long as Minsc did not threaten her or the others, she was happy enough to have him with them.

"Maybe there's some evil that needs its butt kicked!" he said, drawing his sword and beginning to advance on the cave.

"Wait!" Jaheira called. "We don't know what's there."

Minsc either didn't hear her over the rain or didn't care; he continued on his way. Khalid and Jaheira exchanged a glance and followed quickly, and the others did the same.

As they drew closer to the cave, a deep growl came from the blackness within. Minsc was unperturbed; in fact the prospect of getting to fight something seemed to just make him more eager.

"Will you wait a moment you bloodthirsty oaf!" Jaheira shouted. "That sounds like a bear, and this is likely it's home. We should leave it alone."

"But if we kill the bear we could shelter in its cave," Garrick said, causing Imoen to gape at him in dismay.

"There has been enough carnage here," said Jaheira. "We move."

"Back to finish us?" came a guttural voice from the cave's depths. "No fair! We done nothing to you!"

"We come in peace," Jaheira said, crossing her arms and standing by the cave's entrance. "Who are you?"

"I am Nexlit, one of few left. Monsters attacked, but… you are not they."

A blue creature about the size of a halfling came to stand at the cave's entrance. He was a pitiful sight, his clothing ragged and bleeding from a badly bound wound around his arm. Minsc still had his sword out and looked ready to attack.

"Minsc, calm down," Silandra said. "I don't think you need to harm this creature. Maybe we can reason with him." She didn't know whether or not this xvart was evil but he did look quite defenseless at the moment.

"My lady, are you sure that's wise?" Ajantis asked, coming to stand by her side. "We know he's not alone in there; that was a _bear_ we heard before."

"Ursa is kind!" Nexlit screeched. "Ursa our friend! But monsters hurt Ursa. Go away!"

"The bear is injured?" Jaheira asked. "I am a druid, a servant of nature. Perhaps I could see to… Ursa's… injuries."

"D-dear are you sure that is… um… p-prudent?" Khalid asked, staying close to his wife's side.

"The bear will recognize me as an ally and this creature is too badly injured to be a threat. Nexlit, show me to Ursa."

"But w-what if there are m-more?" Khalid asked.

"_Are_ there more of you?" Silandra asked.

"Very few," Nexlit said. Some of his initial aggression appeared to have left him, but he was evidently still unwilling to trust them. "You mean no harm?"

"Of course," Silandra said, extending her influence just a little. "You can trust us."

Nexlit suddenly laughed, a strange dry hacking sound. "Ha! Ugly creature, you can't charm Nexlit! You funny! You can enter but put swords away."

Silandra froze. Her, ugly?

"Hey now, you can't go calling Sil ugly!" Imoen said quickly. "You'll hurt her feelings!"

Nexlit did not look like he cared about anyone's feelings, however. Jaheira glared at Silandra as if warning her to not cause any problems, and began to proceed slowly towards the cave entrance, Khalid following closely.

"Doncha worry Sil," Imoen said. "Xvarts probably just have different standards of beauty. Because you _are_ beautiful. Right guys?"

Silandra tried to ignore the way she felt right now. Obviously, not _all_ creatures would think her beautiful. But she had never been called ugly before. Imoen came to put an arm around her, which made her feel a little better.

"Guys? Right?" Imoen said, louder this time. "Sil's beautiful. Right Ajantis? Garrick?"

"Oh, um, yes, of course," Ajantis said, and cleared his throat. "Silandra, you are very beautiful."

"Yes, very beautiful," Garrick echoed, is face going red.

"Boo says the little blue man should pay for such slander!" Minsc said, his sword still at the ready.

"Uh, no, that won't be necessary," Silandra said, blinking back tears. She knew this was a silly thing to get upset about. Why should she care what a xvart thought of her? "You should put your sword away and tell Boo to calm down. We may as well get out of the rain. Just… be on guard."

Thankfully, Minsc did as she said, including telling Boo very sternly that he must control his rage for the moment. They followed Khalid and Jaheira into the dark cave. Silandra wished she was confident enough to try a magelight spell, but she hadn't quite perfected it yet. She could make out some features in the dark, but she knew it must be pitch black for the humans in the group.

Thankfully, a bright light appeared suddenly from up ahead—Jaheira had lit a lantern.

"I got this in preparation for the mines, where we should be right now," she said, glancing back at Silandra pointedly for a moment before continuing.

With the additional lighting, Silandra could now see that the cave did not go too deeply into the mountain. There was a large bear sprawled on the ground at the back, its fur matted with blood and singed completely off in places. Nearby were huddled a few small blue figures. They watched Silandra and her companions approach with what looked like pure fear, and shrank as far back into the cave as they could. Nexlit came to stand by the bear, his strange little face twisted in what was probably worry.

Jaheira set her lantern down and approached the bear slowly. At first it lifted its head and growled, but it was obviously in pain and lay back down quickly.

Jaheira knelt beside the bear. "I am one of nature's servants," she said, in a voice so calm and quiet it was hard to believe it was Jaheira speaking. "Relax and let me help you."

The bear shifted slightly, revealing a nasty wound in its side, a mix of dry and fresh blood staining its fur.

"An axe wound, I think," Jaheira said, probing it gently. "Wounds on furred creatures can be tricky. It should be cleaned first."

She rummaged in her pack for a moment, withdrawing a bowl and piece of cloth, and used the water from her own waterskin to clean the wound. Nexlit continued to stand by, watching her every move.

"One monster attacked Ursa with an axe," he said quietly. "She hit him and he and the other monsters left. Ursa saved us."

Silandra took a seat a safe distance from the bear and the xvarts, glad to be out of the rain for the moment. She was uncomfortable sitting around in wet clothes but there wasn't much she could do about it right now. At least it wasn't too cold. Imoen and Garrick came to sit with her, but Minsc and Ajantis preferred to stand, their weapons sheathed but probably ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

"You should both relax," Silandra said. "I don't think these creatures could hurt us if they tried."

In fact, the small group in the cave looked to be mostly made up of older xvarts and a few much smaller than the others—children. Had they been sent here when the village was initially attacked? That seemed very… human.

"I feel better knowing I am ready to defend you if necessary, my lady," Ajantis said.

"Minsc and Boo will always stand ready," Minsc said. At least he seemed more interested in the rain falling outside than the xvarts within the cave. He was probably just anxious to get moving.

There was a flash of lightning which made Silandra glad they were now sheltered. Rain was one thing, but a storm could be much more dangerous what with all the metal armor Khalid and Ajantis were wearing. No matter how much peril Dynaheir was in, it would be sensible to wait until it was safe before continuing on.

"I never thought of monsters as having their own little societies like this," Imoen said softly, echoing Silandra's own thoughts. "Makes ya think, huh?"

"Yeah," Silandra said. "I can't help but wonder… would we have attacked them too? I mean, say we were just coming up the road and came upon them. They probably wouldn't have acted too friendly. We might have done the same."

"I like to think we wouldn't have, but you're probably right," Imoen said glumly. "At least now we know. They're people too, kinda."

"I wish we had more light," said Garrick. "I need to write all this down. I think I could turn it into a masterpiece."

"You should," said Imoen. "People oughta know about xvarts and their… their culture."

Silandra remained silent. She couldn't stop thinking about she and her companions being responsible for this carnage instead. She had always believed that anyone who attacked her deserved death. She remembered her dream and frowned. Maybe that voice was right. But she dismissed the thought quickly. She would never _murder_ someone. Even if she had killed these xvarts, if they had attacked first, surely it would not have been murder. Though she did think they had the right to defend their home, if they believed it was being threatened. She frowned, not liking how much this bothered her.

"What's up Sil?" Imoen asked. "You are looking far too intense right now. You're not still worried about that little jerk calling you ugly are ya?"

Silandra glanced over at Nexlit, still standing by while Jaheira worked on the bear. The healing process was now beginning, Jaheira's hands glowing blue. Hopefully the bear would be thankful and not decide to try and eat her or anyone else. Garrick had shifted closer to the cave entrance to make use of the gray daylight, scribbling on some parchment, while Minsc and Ajantis were still standing on guard a few feet away.

"I had a weird dream the night before we left Nashkel," Silandra said quietly. "I dreamed that Neira—the assassin—was dead. And the dream… it said it was my fault."

"That's silly," Imoen said. "She brought it upon herself, even if it was because you made her betray the other bounty hunters. Serves her right for gettin' caught up in such business."

"But then she really _was_ dead," Silandra said. "How could I know that?"

"Must've just been thinkin' it before you slept," said Imoen. "That's how dreams work, right? You're just too nice, feelin' bad about assassins dying and all."

"But I don't feel bad," Silandra said quickly. "She wanted me dead and… I'm happy she's gone. She might have tried killing me again after being released. There's more, too. I saw Gorion… he told me it was my fault he's dead and I can't help but think he was right."

"That wasn't Gorion," Imoen said. "He knew more than he let on, we know that. He musta known he was risking his life out there and he went on anyway. He'd never blame you for what happened."

"I guess," Silandra said. "It was just so weird. And I _knew_ I was dreaming. How often does that happen?"

"Never happens to me, though you'd think it would with some of the crazy stuff my mind comes up with," said Imoen. "Having a pink pet dragon sounds perfectly reasonable when I'm sleepin'."

A low growl came from the bear, and Silandra flinched and scrambled to her feet, Imoen doing the same. Ajantis reached for his sword but stilled when he looked over at the bear.

Jaheira was smiling and stroking the huge bear's head while it made what must be a contented rumbling sound. Khalid sat nearby, looking relieved. He had not left his wife's side the whole time and had appeared even more anxious than usual.

"Ursa just wanted to thank me for healing her," said Jaheira. "She will be fine now. Nexlit, what about the rest of your people? Are they injured badly?"

"Ursa protected us," he said. "Only Nexlit hurt but not bad. You not like those other monsters."

"Most people would call_ you_ monsters," Ajantis said, though thankfully he'd relaxed just a little.

"We don't hurt no one!" Nexlit said, glaring. "Just live in mountains, hunting and… living."

"You do hurt people, sometimes," Jaheira said.

"You would too if you thought you in danger!" Nexlit cried.

"Are we supposed to try talking to every creature we come across that wants us dead now?" Garrick asked, chewing on the end of his quill thoughtfully. "That is… a novel idea!"

"We don't always have time to ask questions," Jaheira said. "In any case, I am sorry about what happened to your village, Nexlit. We are following the ones who did this. Maybe we can get vengeance for you."

"Yes, vengeance!" Nexlit cried shrilly. "It won't bring back village but… it would be something."

"Wait, we're gonna kill Monty and Xzar?" Imoen asked, eyes wide.

"It could come down to that if their group is looking to harm Dynaheir," Silandra said. "But maybe… maybe they can be reasoned with."

"It's unlikely," said Jaheira. "Those two are bad news and if they are traveling with a Red Wizard, he must have something they want, unlike us. Unless you include the bounty on your head, in which case they may just try to take it."

"They had chances before and didn't take them," Silandra said. She did not want to believe that someone she had traveled with might want to kill her for a bounty.

"By the time they knew there was a bounty you were with Khalid and I," Jaheira said. "I imagine things might have gone differently had they found out sooner."

Silandra exchanged a glance with Imoen, who she knew wanted to believe the best of their former traveling companions. But Jaheira was probably right.

"Do you mind if we remain here until the storm calms?" Jaheira asked Nexlit. "There is very little shelter to be found around here."

"We would offer our homes if not gone," Nexlit said darkly. "But yes. You share our safe-cave until water stops. Then leave, for vengeance."

Nexlit gave Ursa a quick pat before moving onto his remaining people, murmuring to them in what must be their own language.

"It's strange," Ajantis said, looking upon the xvarts. "I would always have said any monster is evil but… it is very faint in these creatures. Maybe they don't have to be evil."

"You think they'll be okay?" Imoen asked.

"They will recover, I believe," said Jaheira. "They breed very quickly."

"Maybe they should put up a sign near the road," Garrick said. "To let adventurers know that they are peaceful."

"Not all would heed such a sign, but perhaps it's worth a try," Jaheira said. "I doubt they can write sufficiently in the common tongue, however."

"Hey, Nexlit!" Garrick said, scribbling something down quickly. "You will rebuild here, right?"

Nexlit approached the group, evidently still wary of them despite everything.

"Of course," he said. "This good spot, we live here many years."

"Then take this," said Garrick, ripping out the page he'd been writing on and offering it. "You should make a sign with this on it. It tells our people that you are a peaceful village so hopefully you won't get attacked like this again."

"You have to actually _be_ peaceful too," Jaheira said. "No attacking without warning."

Nexlit accepted the parchment slowly. "Nexlit will consider."

The rain soon let up and Silandra and her companions were on their way. It was already time to start looking for a spot to stop for the night, and she worried about how little progress they had made. Montaron and Xzar's group were obviously ahead of them, and she thought they were probably competent enough to fight their way through a fortress of gnolls, especially if they were accompanied by a Red Wizard who could wreak the kind of destruction seen in the xvart village. Maybe they'd have to stop after the bear had injured one of their number. That would slow them down. And maybe they had taken shelter from the rain too. She tried to continue along this line of thinking. But it was difficult not to worry that they were too far ahead and Dynaheir was doomed.


	11. Chapter 11

The mountains near the gnoll stronghold were apparently completely infested with ogres. Luckily, Minsc was eager and able to face them. After all, they had not had a good fight since leaving Nashkel; the few wolves they had encountered did not count. It seemed Minsc was the type who thrived on action and he happily swung his huge sword as if it were a toy—albeit a very dangerous one. Khalid and Ajantis quickly learned to keep their distance from the berserker when he was fighting, lest they end up as collateral damage.

Although there had been no trace of a road since leaving the xvart village, Minsc walked confidently ahead, insisting he knew the way to the place near the gnoll stronghold where he and Dynaheir had been attacked. Jaheira expressed her concern over letting him lead, but since no one else was certain of the correct direction they had no choice but to follow Minsc.

It turned out they had made the right decision, for they soon saw a fortress looming in the distance. It was early afternoon and Silandra thought Jaheira may suggest they camp rather than risk being caught inside at night, but she had other plans.

"Gnolls may be considered nocturnal creatures, but they are still quite active during the day," Jaheira said. "I do not think we stand a significant advantage if we ensure we are only among them in daylight. And besides, Dynaheir may not have much time left. I would rather not have delayed our quest for the people of Nashkel for nothing."

For once Jaheira seemed to be awaiting the others' opinions on the matter. She did not usually bother.

"I agree we need to hurry, but we can't all see in the dark," said Imoen. "Won't that be kind of dangerous?"

"Tonight is a full moon," Jaheira said. "It won't be so bad. And didn't you say you found an infravision scroll on one of those ogres?"

"Well, yes, but… Sil, what d'ya think?" Imoen asked.

"I'm not very good at casting spells like that, not when I am unfamiliar with them," Silandra said. She had never needed an infravision spell for herself so it was something she had never even considered learning, but she could see now how useful it could be.

"Silandra, it is a basic spell," Jaheira said. "I'm sure you can do it, and at least it's not the type to be dangerous if it doesn't work. You should study it as we walk."

"Maybe if we hurry we can get in and out before dark," Ajantis said. That was probably overly optimistic.

"I m-much prefer the daylight," Khalid said quietly, gazing up at the large structure ahead of them.

Imoen had been rummaging in her pack for the scroll and now she handed it to Silandra. "Here ya go."

Silandra looked over the spell. She knew that her magic ability was improving, especially now that she was actually allowed to cast spells rather than being mostly confined to theory as she was in Candlekeep. But it was still difficult to learn new spells. However she knew that proper mages could read off scrolls to cast the spell, without having to learn the spell properly. Maybe she could try that? Regardless, she would try and memorize the runes if she could as they walked. Although there was no road, the ground had smoothed since their initial ascent into the mountains so she wasn't likely to lose her footing and fall due to the distraction. Besides… with the way Ajantis seemed to like hovering so close by her side, she probably didn't have to worry anyway. He'd catch her if she fell. She felt her face heat at the thought and frowned. That was the second time she had blushed recently while thinking of Ajantis. She wasn't sure she liked it.

She glanced up at the paladin, who was focused on the road ahead. She did not usually give much thought to the appearance of men as they rarely had the kind of beauty she liked to admire, but she supposed he was attractive enough. She had been very careful not to charm him again, and as for his intentions, surely a paladin was trustworthy enough. He seemed to feel her eyes on him and began to turn towards her, and she immediately turned back to the road. Thankfully, he did not say anything.

The sound of running water became apparent as they approached a bridge. As they drew closer, Silandra saw that the bridge did not appear to be very sturdy. Water flowed swiftly below from a nearby waterfall and she knew that even if she survived the fall, she'd probably drown. Having lived in Candlekeep all her life without ever being allowed to leave, she had never learned how to swim.

"I d-don't like this," said Khalid. Of course, even if he could swim, he'd probably sink in his armor. He peered over the edge, looking pale.

"The other side looks to be clear," Jaheira said. "If gnolls cross here then it should be sturdy enough, but we will go one at a time to be safe."

If she was afraid, she did not show it. She walked across the bridge quickly, apparently unconcerned with the way it swayed under her weight. Minsc followed next, looking equally fearless. If the bridge was going to give way to any of them it would be him, but it was stronger than it looked. Silandra felt a little more at ease after that, knowing her weight was nothing compared to his, and she darted across quickly.

Thankfully, they all made it across without incident. On the other side there was a rough road leading towards the stronghold, though there was no sign of life. Behind some shrubs they found a couple of dead ogrillons, killed by blades and magic. Silandra felt a sinking sensation within; were they too late to save Dynaheir?

There was an entrance ahead, looking like it led into a courtyard of some kind, yet it was apparently unguarded which she considered to be another bad sign. She did think she caught a sign of movement in the fortress above, but when she tried to focus on the area she couldn't see anything. Maybe there was a lookout up there and he had dashed off to tell his fellows. If that were true, the area could soon be swarming with gnolls. Or maybe it really had been nothing—only wishful thinking, because although she didn't like the prospect of fighting off a hoard of gnolls, their absence was unsettling. She glanced nervously at Minsc, who didn't look at all worried and instead plowed onward. Everyone else seemed to share her concern but no one wanted to be the one to voice it.

"Stop! Who you?"

Minsc was already drawing his sword, but Jaheira rushed to intercept.

"Minsc, wait! This gnoll apparently wants to talk!" she cried.

Waiting just inside the stronghold gates were a pair of gnolls. Silandra supposed it made more sense for them to wait hidden for intruders, instead of standing outside where they could easily be picked off from a distance. She had not considered gnolls smart enough creatures to think like that though.

The monsters were hairy, a little taller than Minsc and had heads like big ugly dogs. Their armor looked to be put together with scraps of leather and metal, maybe from their victims, but the huge halberds they held looked lethal enough. They did not seem pleased to see the intruders, but they did not look about to attack.

"We are adventurers," Jaheira said, eyeing the gnolls with caution. "We come seeking a lost companion."

"You find nothing here!" the other gnoll growled. "But Holy One sees all intruders. You follow."

This was an interesting development. Silandra hoped Jaheira wasn't going to insist they follow these creatures though. If they got further into the stronghold and the gnolls turned on them, it could get ugly.

"No!" Minsc roared, pointing his sword at the gnolls. "You tell me where my witch is! Boo will have your ears for shoes!"

"Minsc, quiet!" Jaheira said, before turning back to the gnolls. "You think we will trust your kind? We will not go anywhere with you."

The gnoll made a barking noise that almost sounded like a normal dog, though coming out of such a horrible-looking creature it was much more intimidating.

"You see Holy One!" he demanded.

"You will bring your Holy One here," said Jaheira. "Or would you rather fight instead?"

Minsc still had his sword out and appeared excited at the possibility of using it on these gnolls. Yet he held his ground for the moment, showing what Silandra thought was remarkable restraint.

"Holy One say bring to adventurers," the other gnoll said, scratching his back with the haft of his halberd. He did not seem as aggressive as his partner. "Don't make mad. Go get. I stay."

The first gnoll snarled at the adventurers, before turning and making his way into the courtyard and up a large stone staircase which bore the signs of a recent battle. Some blood was splattered here, the stonework scorched there. There were no bodies, however, and Silandra wondered if the gnolls actually had the presence of mind to clean up. Were they like the xvarts, misunderstood creatures who were just trying to live their lives in peace? But no, she knew gnolls _ate_ people. Or was that only if they happened to fight them and win? Maybe they did not seek them out?

The gnoll took his time, as if he really did not want to fetch this Holy One, and before he could reach the top of the stairs a group of gnolls came to meet him. Curiously, a human woman accompanied them. Her dress was a little ragged and rather dirty, but she seemed unharmed. Her coloring was not like any Silandra had seen before—her skin was a smooth, dark brown and her hair deep red. The effect was stunning. She was obviously not happy with the gnoll who had been guarding the entrance. She spoke to him briefly, too low to hear, and he hurried back down the stairs, ears laid back and whining softly.

"Dynaheir!" Minsc cried happily, dashing forward.

"Minsc, stay!" the woman commanded quickly.

Minsc was apparently not offended by being treated like a dog; he obeyed instantly, though he was obviously itching to continue towards her.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jaheira demanded, crossing her arms and eyeing Dynaheir with suspicion.

"Relax thyselves," Dynaheir said to the gnolls, who bizarrely enough seemed to be acting as her bodyguards. She then turned to address Jaheira. "I apologize for the delay. Dekazz was to come for me _immediately_ when adventurers arrived. Welcome to my home. How may I assist thee?" Her mouth quirked just a little as she said this.

"Dynaheir, what are you doing with these monsters?" Minsc asked. "Boo and I were worried! We brought friends to rescue you! You are saying this is your home now?"

"I thank thee for thy concern, Minsc, but it was not necessary," Dynaheir said. She turned again to the gnolls beside her. "I would like a moment alone with this group. Amuse thyselves upstairs and I shall return shortly."

"But Holy One!" one of the gnolls growled. "The assassins! Are you—"

"Doest thou doubt mine words, Vyc?" Dynaheir asked, glaring at him.

"N-no," the gnoll said. He actually lowered his head in what appeared to be deference, looking almost as pathetic as Dekazz had. "Apologies Holy One… we… we go. Be quick."

The gnolls retreated back up the stairs, looking back every now and then in what looked like concern. The gnoll by the entrance stayed, until a glare from Dynaheir sent him on his way too.

"Quick, let us be gone from this place," Dynaheir hissed, running towards the entrance.

"But the gnolls! They deserve a butt-kicking!" Minsc said, too loudly.

"Hush, Minsc," Dynaheir said. "Not now. We must flee."

An explanation would be required, and a thorough one at that, Silandra thought as she took in Jaheira's irritated expression. But it could wait. There was no reason to be standing around a gnoll stronghold so they made for the bridge. Like before, they dashed across one at a time, which delayed them just enough for the gnolls to return and catch sight of them.

"No! They steal Holy One!" one of the gnolls hollered, loudly enough that surely the whole fortress would be roused.

Dynaheir turned to the bridge and shot an impressive stream of fire from her fingertips, scorching the frail wood and ropes that held it together. Silandra took a moment to admire her quick thinking and the display of magic. Had she finally found someone who she could learn from?

"There are other ways to cross, though they will take time," Dynaheir said. "Regardless, we should move quickly."

No one could argue with that, and the group hurried through the wilderness. It was good they had not had to actually enter the stronghold, as they now had a little time to put some distance behind them before night fell. Minsc stuck closely by his witch now that he had found her so Imoen and Garrick were bringing up the lead. But at the pace they were going, they weren't going to be able to sneak up on any monsters or animals they might encounter. Silandra hoped they had already killed most of the ogres in the area on the way here.

The moon was high in the sky by the time they found a place to rest. It was an area so thick with trees that there was barely room to set up their tents, but at least it was well-hidden.

"No fire tonight, I think," said Jaheira, and turned to Dynaheir. "Now, explain."

"No introductions first?" Dynaheir asked, looking mildly amused. "Suit thyselves. Minsc and I were traveling nearby when gnolls attacked at night. I was captured and, as I am sure thou art aware, gnolls eat people. But I caught sight of some stone tablets in their fortress that foretold the coming of a 'Holy One', an outsider with the blood of a god. I convinced them it was I."

"You could read their tablets?" Jaheira asked skeptically.

"I can read their language, yes," said Dynaheir. "Of course, although they considered me almost as a deity and would not harm me, they also would not let me leave. I planned on earning their trust to the point where they would leave me alone a while so I could escape, preferably in the company of Minsc. That is why I told them to bring me to any adventurers that came. I was not sure they would obey when I told them to leave me with thee, though if they did not I have no doubt thou couldst have fought them off."

"So they were worshipping you and stuff?" Imoen asked.

Dynaheir nodded, and Imoen burst into laughter, Garrick along with her.

"That's priceless!" Imoen said.

"But how did you convince them?" Garrick asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"Gnolls are not overly bright. A few carefully placed lightning bolts were sufficient to awe such creatures."

"And that's all they call you? Holy One? I would have expected something... grander." Garrick sounded disappointed.

"They could not pronounce mine name," Dynaheir said, smiling.

"But wait, there were others that came for you, right?" Silandra asked. "The gnolls mentioned assassins."

Dynaheir's expression darkened. "Oh yes, Edwin? The Red Wizard? He is a fool. He and his companions were easy to trick."

"What happened to them?" Ajantis asked. "We thought they would have the upper hand with the gnolls."

Silandra thought Ajantis was spending a little more time looking at Dynaheir than was necessary. The witch's dress had a slit up the side and was low cut. Silandra thought it was stylish and wouldn't mind wearing something similar, but she knew what Gorion would have said about it and wondered if Ajantis was thinking the same thing. But if he were, wouldn't he be trying _not_ to look? After all, he couldn't handle Silandra in her nightdress and that didn't cover so much more. Silandra wondered if what she was feeling was jealousy. It was a strange thought, one she did not want to dwell on just now.

"The gnolls alone would not have lived through their onslaught," Dynaheir said. "I had not anticipated adventurers to come seeking my death. Dekazz may have been quicker to bring me to thee without that incident. Ultimately I was able to lure the men into a skull trap. They survived and I instructed the gnolls to throw them in the river."

"So they're alive?" Imoen asked, looking unsure what answer she preferred.

"Most likely," Dynaheir said. "Such men do not die so easily."

"Why didn't you just have them killed?" Silandra asked. She was sure she would have had she been in Dynaheir's position.

"I would be as bad as they," Dynaheir said. "But if they come for me again, I do not think I would spare them twice."

"Why was the Red Wizard after you?" Jaheira asked. "What were you doing out here to begin with?"

"Thay and Rashemen are old enemies," said Dynaheir. "He needs no other excuse and mayhap I should have been prepared for one such as he to be sent after me. But I do not fear him. As to my purpose here, I am not allowed to say, but I assure thee, I do not intend any harm."

"So what will you do now?" Silandra asked.

"We owe thee a debt," said Dynaheir. "I am… uncertain whether Minsc would have handled the situation well on his own. Minsc is, well, Minsc, but he hath a strong sword arm, whilst I am practiced in the arcane arts. Mayhap we could assist thee in some way?"

"Well, we're actually going to investigate the Nashkel mine," Silandra said. "We took a detour to come find you. Your help would be appreciated."

"We will accompany thee," Dynaheir said. "Though I would appreciate a brief stop in town to replenish my supplies."

"Of course," Silandra said. "Maybe we could stay the night. Or, uh, maybe not…"

Jaheira was glaring at her, as she so often seemed to do. "We have wasted enough time out here. It will be a few days before we return. Who knows how the situation in Nashkel has deteriorated in the meantime? We do not have time for such luxuries. We will stop at the store and then head straight to the mines."

Silandra could not bring herself to disagree. She didn't feel bad about insisting the group follow Minsc though. She suspected Dynaheir had been close to escaping by herself, but she was glad to have the chance to meet her.

"Dynaheir, how long have you been studying magic?" she asked.

Dynaheir looked a little surprised by the question. "Most of mine life has been dedicated to the art."

"I'm a sorceress," Silandra said, hoping Dynaheir was not the type to hate her kind. "I was hoping you could help me learn some new spells. I didn't get to finish my studies before leaving home."

"Thou ventured out here unprepared?" Dynaheir asked, raising an eyebrow.

Silandra realized they had not even been properly introduced thanks to Jaheira's insistence on Dynaheir talking immediately. Introductions were made, and then Silandra gave an overview of their journey so far. Dynaheir looked thoughtful by the end.

"I will help thee of course," she said. "I do find thy situation curious, however."

Silandra thought she might have been about to elaborate, but that was all she said. She thought 'curious' was an odd choice of words compared to 'terrifying' or 'dangerous' or even simply 'sad'.

They ate their meager rations and settled in for the night. Minsc shared his tent with Dynaheir, and Silandra wondered if that had been their original arrangement or if Dynaheir had just lost hers. Either way, it did not seem Minsc was even capable of anything other than platonic affection for his witch. He was like a child in a highly destructive body.

There was a good chance of a gnoll attack so a careful watch was to be kept throughout the night. As usual, Silandra and Imoen were excluded. Imoen did not mind, since sleep was one of her favorite things to do, but Silandra wanted the opportunity to be more useful. Besides, she could see at night, so surely she was well-suited to the task. Instead, the most she was allowed to do was cast the infravision spell on Ajantis so at least he could see any approaching gnolls through the trees. The scroll crumbled in her hand once she was done. Dynaheir had encouraged her to cast rather than do it herself, and assured her that it was normal for the scroll to be destroyed when used in such a way.

"In scrolls such as these, the magic is contained within," she said. "Tis difficult to use the spell without tearing the magic from the source. Thou performed well, if it is true thou hath not delved into divination as of yet."

Her words made Silandra feel a little better about the whole thing so that by the time she lay down to rest, she thought she may be relaxed enough to drift off right away. It was a relief no longer having to worry whether or not she would be in time to rescue Dynaheir. She realized she had not previously given much thought as to what kind of person Minsc's witch would be, but she was pleased with how it had turned out. Her manner of speaking was strange, but otherwise she seemed nice and appeared to be very skilled in magic. Silandra smiled at the thought of finally making real progress with her magic. Maybe she could even learn to cast a fireball!

"Hey Sil? You asleep?" Imoen asked, keeping her voice low. Minsc and Ajantis were on watch outside and she evidently did not want to be heard.

"Still awake," Silandra replied. "What is it?"

"Well… What d'ya think of Garrick?"

Silandra had noticed that Imoen seemed to like sticking by the bard's side, though she had assumed it was just because she liked music and stories and he could provide both.

"He seems nice," she said.

"You don't like him then?"

"What? No!"

"Oh. He likes you, ya know."

"You know that doesn't mean anything." Silandra sighed and moved closer to Imoen so they could speak even more quietly. "He just likes the way I look."

"I just mean… you could take him if you wanted."

Silandra frowned. "I don't want to take him. I don't want to 'take' anyone. What has gotten into you, Imoen? Why are you talking like this?"

"Sorry Sil. It's just… it's easy for you, ya know? Men will bend over backwards to please you if they think they have the slightest chance. They don't even look at someone like me."

"You're beautiful too, Imoen," Silandra said, and she was sincere—she found it difficult to lie outright. "And Garrick does _not_ have a chance. So there. He's nice enough but he is… too boyish. Why, do _you_ like him? Is that what this is about?"

"I don't know," said Imoen. "Maybe. But let's talk about you and Ajantis. I bet _he_ has a chance, right?"

To her annoyance, Silandra felt herself blushing for the second time that day. She considered her answer. "Maybe," she said. "I mean, he's a paladin. That should count for something, right?"

"_That's_ what you think about? What about his looks? Fighting ability? Adorable devotion to Helm?"

"I'm not sure I would call that _adorable_. But fine… he is attractive and fights well. I like him. But I will see how long his interest holds."

"Maybe you're right to be cautious. I saw him checking out Dynaheir while we were eating."

So it was not just Silandra who had noticed that. "Well, Dynaheir is a very beautiful woman," she said. "And her dress does not cover very much. It makes sense that he would look at her. I was looking too."

"But not in the same way. I mean, you don't like girls like _that_ right? Or do you? It's fine if you do."

Silandra had to think about that for a moment. She always appreciated beautiful people. But that was all it was. "No, I don't think so. I just like looking at them."

Imoen giggled and sighed, snuggling into her bedroll. "Guess we'd better sleep. See ya in the morning, if we don't get eaten by gnolls."

Although she had to admit that was a real risk they faced, Silandra could not help but smile. If only she could share Imoen's blithe view of the dangers they faced.


	12. Chapter 12

Edwin, master conjurer and Red Wizard of Thay, was having a bad couple of days. At first things were looking promising. He had only just arrived in Nashkel when he learned the witch's bodyguard was laid up in the inn, mumbling about gnolls in his sleep. Given what he already knew, Edwin was sure the witch must have actually been foolish enough to go to the gnoll stronghold. He thought she may already be dead but he had to know for sure. He knew it was not a journey he should take alone, despite his great power, but the town was sparsely populated, even more so due to some kind of problem with the local mine.

Luckily, just when he was thinking he would have to call for help—not something he would do if he had any other option—a trio of pawns crossed his path. They were easily convinced to assist him in his endeavor and they accepted a month of his services as payment. No matter that they wanted him to enter the mine that the Nashkel people were so worked up about. It would be worth it to get his superiors off his back, and then he could return to Thay and be away from these barbaric lands.

But of course, things had not gone to plan. The journey had been easy enough, despite realizing Xzar was completely insane. At least he performed adequately when needed. It was when they finally reached the gnoll stronghold that everything began going downhill.

Edwin was certain they would find the remains of the witch, that the gnolls would have eaten her. That was what gnolls did. But she had somehow tricked them into serving her instead. The gnolls fell quickly. Montaron and Kagain were smelly and foul-tempered but they were good at killing, and Xzar might be crazy, but his unusual methods were effective. Edwin himself, of course, was a powerful conjurer and easily dispatched many of the gnolls with summoned hobgoblins and fire. They would have had no trouble killing their way to the witch, if not for that skull trap.

He was not sure whether to be thankful or insulted that she had not seen fit to have him killed. Instead, he and the others had been unceremoniously dumped in the river and washed almost all the way out to the ocean. Thankfully, the river narrowed enough at one point that they were able to grab onto some rocks, though actually climbing out and up the rocky riverbank was no easy task.

Edwin dried his clothes with a simple cantrip, much to the annoyance of the others. Xzar should have been capable of drying himself, but instead he decided to huddle in a ball and cry while Montaron and Kagain built a fire. Edwin did not relish the thought of having to accompany this group for much longer and was already trying to work out a way to give them the slip once in Nashkel.

Kagain made himself useful by working out where exactly they were. Unfortunately, they were well off course and Montaron wouldn't stop grumbling about how long it would take them to reach the blasted mine.

It had been a few days now since leaving the stronghold and they would likely reach Nashkel the following afternoon. Then onto the mine, for although Dynaheir still breathed Edwin had, according to Montaron, only told them they must accompany him to the stronghold, that it did not matter that they were not successful. Edwin chose not to fight his ill-mannered companions over it. He would win of course, but it would be…inconvenient. Yes, that's right.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he was the last to notice the ambush. It was the perfect place for one—a narrow pass with rocky cliffs and thick shrubs on either side. Montaron was cursing under his breath as he drew his sword, though it did not take much for the angry little man to do that. Kagain remained silent as usual, but his axe was ready. Xzar appeared to be lucid, thankfully.

On the rise ahead, a couple stepped into view. The man wore leathers and carried a sword while the woman—an elf, by the look of her—wore pristine splint mail and wielded a flail and shield. They did not look hostile, but Edwin knew that was a front. He now saw what his companions already had—they were surrounded, bandits with bows hiding on either side.

"Hail and well met!" called the man cheerfully.

Edwin knew it was up to him to reply. He was the only one with any social skills after all.

"Keep your distance, ape!" he cried. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Now, now, there's no reason for this to turn violent," the man said, his tone still deceptively pleasant. "Hand over your belongings and you may yet live."

Edwin wondered if he could get a shield spell off before the archers struck him. If he could, then he might just live to cast a fireball. But then what? There were too many and they were too spread out. But then he noticed Xzar making some subtle movements beside him, and barely kept the smirk off his face.

"You'll need to be more convincing than that, swine," Edwin said, knowing he needed to retain the couple's attention for a moment more. "Why don't you just try?"

"Listen to Senjak, friend," said the woman, her voice light and musical. Definitely an elf. "Perhaps you've noticed our associates, who even now are aiming—"

A cry of pain came from the nearby bushes and she stopped speaking abruptly, turning her head in alarm. At the same moment, Xzar's spell finished casting and the man, Senjak, suddenly screamed in terror and began to run. There were similar sounds from the cover on either side and soon the area was swarming with terrified men and women. The only one who was apparently unaffected was the elven woman, who cast some kind of protection spell and watched in dismay as her comrades lost their minds. One rolled to the ground at her feet, dead.

Edwin took the opportunity to cast a shield spell before joining the woman in looking for who or what had attacked her minions. Kagain and Montaron were already making short work of the terrified archers while Xzar was casting his favorite blue hand of death. Edwin would enjoy participating too, but it would do no good if whatever had killed the bandits came after their group next.

Another archer fell to the ground, his body cut completely in two, and a huge armored man jumped from one of the nearby rocks to stand before the woman.

"Senjak! Dorotea!" he roared, his voice deep and full of fury. "I swore I would crush the life out of you someday. Today is that day!"

It would have been a grand entrance, if not for the chaos around him. Most of the archers were dead by now, the rest running around aimlessly, their heads filled with terror. Senjak was huddled a few feet away, hiding his head in his hands. The woman looked rather pale all of a sudden as she gazed upon the newcomer.

"I'm happy to see you, Dorn," she said, an obviously fake smile appearing on her face. "Leaving you behind to take the blame was all Simmeon's idea. He's the one you want, not us."

"'Just following orders' is a coward's excuse, Dorotea," Dorn growled. "And I haven't forgotten what you said when I refused your advances."

Dorotea reddened slightly and for the moment, looked lost for words. She began casting a spell but Dorn interrupted her, knocking her hands aside with his fist.

"Any o' you louts care to explain what's going on?" Kagain asked as the last of the archers met their end on his axe.

Dorn barely glanced at the dwarf before returning his attention to Dorotea. That look was enough to make out his tusks—a half-orc, in this part of the world? Interesting. Dorotea herself turned her gaze upon the group, her eyes flickering from one to the other until they landed on Edwin.

"This brute has been after me for weeks!" she cried, her eyes filling with tears that may just be real. "Defend me from him and I'll give you anything!"

Edwin wasn't about to believe her lies, though he might have considered saving her anyway. She was rather attractive, after all. But his less civilized companions were unaffected by such things and he knew they would not defend someone who had been trying to rob them moments ago.

"We don't believe ye," Montaron said. He had been steadily approaching Senjak and was about to slit the cowering man's throat.

"Wait!" Dorn roared. "His death is mine."

Montaron paused. From what Edwin had seen so far, the little man had few if any morals and enjoyed killing. So he was surprised when Montaron stepped back.

"Seems ye got a history," the halfling muttered. "I understand vengeance."

Dorotea had taken a few steps back, obviously seeing that this was not going to go her way. Dorn, however, was surprisingly fast for his size, and seized her arm before she could get any further.

"You'll not escape me so easily," the half-orc growled. He glanced from Montaron to Edwin, who now had Kagain and Xzar at his side. "Are you going to interfere?"

"Not unless ya want us to," Kagain said. "Think we've done enough already." He gestured to the dead archers, chuckling.

"I can handle these traitors," Dorn said.

"Please, Dorn! It was all Simmeon! I never—'

Dorotea did not get to finish her sentence before she was impaled on Dorn's sword, her magical protections giving way easily. Edwin could see that Dorn's weapon was not an ordinary greatsword; it was made of a strange dark metal and seemed to hold an aura of its own. As Dorotea died, something appeared to pass from her and into the sword, and Edwin understood what Dorn was. A blackguard would make a powerful ally—or a dangerous enemy.

Senjak was beginning to recover from Xzar's spell, but it was hard to tell when Dorn's presence and Dorotea's corpse seemed to terrify him almost as much. He tried to run, but Montaron was blocking his path.

"Face your death like a man, Senjak," Dorn said.

Senjak drew his sword and turned to defend himself but he was trembling so badly it was unlikely he had a chance, if he even did to begin with.

"I got some gold," he said. "I'll tell you where it is. Should be more than enough to make up for everything."

"I care nothing for your gold!" Dorn roared.

The fight was over almost as soon as it had begun. Senjak's weak efforts were in vain; he simply could not match the half-orc's strength and speed. Moments later, his soul was also feeding Dorn's sword.

Dorn did not bother to wipe the blood from his blade before turning to face Edwin and his lackeys. Edwin felt a little uneasy and began thinking of the best spell to cast on such an adversary. A summon of course, hobgoblins would not last long but they would serve as a distraction, and then-

"You handled yourselves well enough," the half-orc said, looking vaguely interested.

"Why so surprised?" Edwin asked, unable to resist rolling his eyes. After the summons, maybe an acid arrow to eat through that heavy armor?

"As a rule, I do not rely on those who fight beside me," said Dorn, his eyes narrowing. "I am Dorn-Il-Khan and I was settling an old score with some former…companions of mine."

"You are a blackguard, correct?" Edwin asked, getting impatient. He was beginning to think he was _not_ in immediate danger from this brute and now he just wanted to be done here as soon as possible. He had things to do.

"My powers are none of your concern," Dorn said, and paused a moment. "Unless, that is, you are looking for a strong arm to join you."

"I am after a witch," Edwin said quickly, unable to miss the opportunity. "It would be helpful if—"

"First, the mine!" Montaron growled. "Ye gave us yer word, wizard!"

Edwin sighed. "Yes, the mine. We have to investigate the Nashkel mine because these three want to. And _then_ we can kill the witch."

"I have my own quest," said Dorn. "But if they are compatible then I suppose I could deal with companions once more. If you betray me, this will be your fate."

The blackguard gestured to the carnage around them. Most of the archers, of course, had been killed by Edwin's group, but they were weak. Senjak and Dorotea were not, yet Dorn had dispatched them easily. Edwin had not forgotten the way Dorn's sword was completely unhindered by the woman's magical defenses. Well, Edwin would get away from him if he had to. For now, it looked like they may be able to work together.

"What is it you're after?" Edwin asked.

"Vengeance, of course. Two more to go, and I have a lead in Nashkel. There is also this." The blackguard pulled a scroll from his pack.

Edwin accepted it and read. Chasing bounties was beneath him, and he did not need such a piddly sum of gold. The woman herself, however…

"Is this depiction accurate?" he asked, unable to take his eyes from the drawing.

Dorn shrugged. "Perhaps. I think I saw someone matching her description while in the Friendly Arm, before I knew of the bounty. Come to think of it, you two were with her."

Xzar perked up as Dorn indicated him and Montaron. "The nymph!" he cried. "I liked her but Monty made us leave. She traveled with Harpers."

"Buncha goodie goodies," Montaron said, spitting onto the blood-soaked ground. "Green too. We first thought she an' her friend might be of use in the mine but realized they'd probably just get us killed. An' when they hooked up with a pair of Harpers and a paladin… that was that. We knew Kagain already, figured we'd stand a better chance with him."

"And this one?" Dorn asked, indicating Edwin in a way that did not at all fit his magnificence.

"I am Edwin Odesseiron, master conjurer and Red Wizard of Thay!" Edwin cried, puffing out his chest. He almost immediately wished he hadn't, since there was no way he could come close to comparing to Dorn in that department. "I recruited them to hunt my witch in return for my assistance in the mine. Unfortunately, she proved more slippery than I had anticipated and she escaped. We _will_ find her after we do whatever must be done in the mine."

"Do you know where this woman is now?" Dorn asked.

"Beats me if I know," Montaron said. "The Harpers wanted to hit the mine too. They're probably lyin' dead in there by now."

Dorn did not seem to like hearing this, and Edwin had some idea why that may be.

"The notice says dead or alive," Edwin said. "Come to the mine with us and if we find her corpse you can take her head."

"He doesn't want her dead," Xzar said in one of his rare displays of clarity.

"Ahh, I see." Edwin noticed that the others appeared confused. "She is very beautiful. It is natural that you may want to spend some time with her before turning her in. Perhaps if we make haste, we can prevent her untimely death."

In fact, he was hoping now that would be the case. He just had to figure out a way to get to her before Dorn did. He would think of something, of course. It would not be hard to outwit a half-orc.

"We should move on," Kagain said. "Got to find a spot to camp before it's too dark."

Edwin had to admit the dwarf made a good point. The sky was beginning to darken already and it was hard enough to find a campsite in this rough terrain by day. Thankfully, no one argued—a rare thing with this company—and they walked a short distance until Xzar declared he had found a spot. Insane though he was, he had proved particularly adept at picking safe places to stop for the night. Edwin suspected he often altered the surroundings a little to make the place more appropriate, but if he wanted to waste his energy on that then he would not complain.

Montaron made the fire and they brought out their rations. Xzar ignored his food for the moment and instead pulled out a piece of parchment and a small bundle.

"Wish the mad wizard wouldn't do that," Kagain said, eyeing Xzar with disdain.

"This is different," Edwin said, noticing what Xzar was laying on the parchment. He was not well versed in divination, though he could see how this spell was different than Xzar's usual splattering of ink or blood on parchment. "He is scrying."

"You have her hair?" Dorn asked, eyeing the blonde lock.

"She tried charming Xzar when we first met," Montaron said. "Made 'er give it to us as payment. 'Course, half-nymph hair isn't worth anything, but it'll do to target her for certain spells."

"This idea has merit (though of course I would have thought of it first had I a lock of her hair)," Edwin said reluctantly. "Maybe she's not in the mine at all."

Xzar closed his eyes and began his spell, ignoring the voices around him. Everyone remained silent, which was quite a feat, but Edwin guessed they all wanted to know this woman's whereabouts for their own reasons.

"Alive!" Xzar squealed, giddy with joy. "She's alive! And with new friends!"

"New friends?" Edwin repeated. "How is that good? Calm yourself and describe these friends."

"Can't," Xzar said, lowering his voice until it was barely above a whisper. "The spell is focused on her, I can only sense them. She is on her way to the mine."

"Musta had a hell of a delay gettin' to Nashkel then," said Montaron. "Thought she'd be long gone by now."

"We should follow her in," said Dorn. "If you think she does not stand a chance…"

"Oh, she'll be quite safe with her new friends," Xzar said confidently. "We should wait for her to emerge and find out what she knows."

"Ye think she'll just tell us?" Montaron said.

"We're friends!" Xzar cried, getting excited again. "Of course she will. Meanwhile, we can pursue this lead of Dorn's, and maybe find Edwin's witch! And we don't have to go into a dirty mine!"

And here Edwin was thinking he was the only one with such reservations about entering the mine. He was not sure how to feel knowing it was the madman who was on his side in this. He was quite pleased with this turn of events, however. Nashkel was a small, uncultured town, but he would rather stay there for a while than enter the mine.

"Why are you so intent on entering this mine anyway?" Dorn asked.

"Something's killin' the miners and the ore's comin' out wrong," Montaron said. "Our employers want us ter find out the cause. But if the Harpers get in and out first it'd be easier to just question them."

"Your employers?" Dorn said.

"It's nothin' to you," Montaron replied, glaring at the half-orc as if daring him to challenge him.

Edwin thought the halfling was being foolishly brave and he expected a fight. Maybe Dorn could rid him of Montaron and Xzar, for that was who he expected to win that particular fight. Yes, that would be convenient. But it appeared he would not get his wish, at least not now. Dorn merely grunted and turned his attention back to his rations.

Edwin himself pored over his spellbook, murmuring to himself over what to memorize. Fireball was a staple of course, as were magic missiles and summons. He wondered if he should try a charm for the girl. Or a sleep spell? If she were truly half-nymph, however, they may not work properly. He'd have to think on it some more. At least he still had some time before Xzar expected this Silandra to return to Nashkel. And when she did, Edwin would be ready for her.


	13. Chapter 13

Silandra and her companions were finally on their way to the mine. The trip back to Naskel had been uneventful, which was a good thing considering the things that could make it more interesting were mostly dangerous. Their stop in town had been brief as Jaheira demanded, only purchasing a few necessities from the store before moving on.

Now that heading underground for who knew how long was close to becoming a reality, Silandra felt fear setting in. So far, she and her group had overcome every monster and assassin they had come across. But there could be anything in the mine, and they would not be able to easily run away if they encountered something they could not handle. According to Jaheira, there was also a high chance they would have to _sleep_ down there. She shuddered at the thought.

She was enjoying having Dynaheir in the group. She showed herself to be a strict teacher but her methods were working. She did, however, declare Silandra had much to learn before she would be ready to learn a fireball spell. At first Silandra was disappointed, but Dynaheir was better than the monks in Candlekeep at making it clear that magic could be dangerous without understanding the fundamentals. Dynaheir said she would advance much more quickly later if she applied herself to cantrips and theory now, so every night when they camped Silandra dedicated herself to magic. She and Dynaheir would sit side by side and discuss the concepts she was working on before studying their spell books in silence.

Silandra just hoped she would be prepared for whatever could be lurking in the mines. Her companions had been mostly quiet as they walked and she wondered if they were also feeling uneasy about the quest before them. At least they had Minsc and Dynaheir now, both of whom had already proven themselves to be valuable additions to the group.

They reached the mine the day after leaving Nashkel. There was a rather rickety set of wooden stairs leading down to the entrance, creaking loudly the moment Minsc began to descend. There did not seem to be many workers around which fit what they had heard so far—there were no longer enough men to work the mine effectively.

Amnian soldiers blocked the mine's entrance and they did not move when Silandra drew closer.

"You guys really should get permission from Emerson over there before you enter the mines," one of the soldiers said. "He can get really nasty about unauthorized guys wandering about."

Silandra raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm not a 'guy' and I'm not unauthorized," she said, smiling. "The mayor sent me and my companions to investigate this mine."

"Oh, well I suppose you could enter then… Emerson'll understand," the man said, returning her smile.

"Silandra, we should go through the proper channels," said Jaheira. "If this Emerson is in charge of this mine then we should speak with him. He may have further information to share."

The soldier looked a little baffled but pointed to a man who appeared to be arguing with one of the miners. "That's Emerson there. Careful, he's not been in the best of moods."

The group headed over and Jaheira sidled up to Silandra as they walked.

"You cannot just charm your way past people," Jaheira said, sounding even more strict than usual. "Not when there are other ways."

Silandra frowned, a little offended. "I didn't charm him," she said. "I wouldn't have unless it was necessary."

"He was charmed by her good looks alone," Imoen said. "Must be pretty easy here even for regular women. These soldiers probably haven't seen any in a long time."

Jaheira did not apologize; instead her frown deepened and she picked up her pace so she was ahead of the others. Silandra wondered what had put her in such a mood and looked at Khalid imploringly. He just shrugged and hurried after his wife.

Emerson saw the group approaching and dismissed the miner he was with. Silandra thought he looked rather guilty, but he covered it quickly.

"More adventurers, come to die in my mine?" he asked, though he seemed rather hopeful as he looked over the group.

"We were sent by the mayor to investigate," Jaheira said. "He did not tell us we were not the first to try."

Emerson shifted uncomfortably. "Probably didn't wanna put you off. A pair of elves came about a week ago. Sent by Evereska they said. They seemed competent though they looked young. But elves always do. Maybe they really _were_ young though. They haven't returned and I reckon they won't at this point."

"Maybe we'll find them," Silandra said, doing her best to ignore the way Jaheira looked at her when she spoke. What was her problem all of a sudden?

"Can you offer any further information?" Jaheira asked.

"Not really, unless this means anything to you," Emerson said. He picked up a hunk of ore from a nearby cart and held it out.

Jaheira did not seem to want to touch the ore, and Silandra thought she knew why. There was obviously something wrong with it. Even Silandra, having never seen iron ore before, could see that. The surface was beginning to rust already. No wonder people were complaining about the quality of the iron lately. There also seemed to be something coating the ore here and there.

"Sabotage," Jaheira said. "It has to be."

"That's what I thought too!" Emerson said, with the look of someone who'd finally found a like-minded person to air his grievances to. "I swear it's some of the miners, trying to put me out of business! I was just—"

"The miners are killing each other and poisoning thy iron in order to put thee out of business?" Dynaheir glanced at Emerson with skepticism.

"Well accidents happen down there," Emerson said, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Accidents?" Dynaheir repeated, eyebrow raised. "Thou knows well that this is not the truth of the matter. Something evil is in thy mine and thou wouldst do well to stop treating thy miners as suspects!"

"We heard there were demons in the mines!" Imoen said.

"We don't believe that," Jaheira added quickly. She and Dynaheir wore almost identical glares of disapproval by now. "But there is obviously something down there killing them. I don't believe the miners would be going to such lengths when it's only hurting them in the end. We will find what is wrong with your mine. In the meantime, I suggest you treat your employees better."

Emerson looked suitably abashed as the group took their leave. Silandra wondered what kind of overseer he was if he really thought his miners would try to put him out of business.

The group headed back towards the mine entrance. This time the guards parted willingly for them.

"I wish you guys luck in there," said one. "Whatever's been causing all the trouble isn't something I'd wanna run into."

Silandra and her companions murmured their thanks and entered the dark tunnel.

Thankfully, there were torches along the walls at regular intervals so Jaheira's lantern and the extra one they'd purchased in town were not necessary, at least for the moment. There were miners milling around and guards posted here and there. It didn't seem so bad.

The miners were in varying states, some mindlessly going about their work while others looked downright terrified, looking over their shoulders every few moments as if expecting an attack. A few even approached Silandra and her companions, asking if they were there to save them all and warning of dragons and demons in the lower levels. Silandra did not want to face either and she could only hope the men were exaggerating.

She and Jaheira asked some of the guards what they thought was going on, but they only said to ask the guards below, that the upper level was safe. One guard directed the group to the tunnel that would lead deeper into the mine. On the way, a miner asked them to return a dagger to one of his friends on the next level. Since they were going that way anyway, they agreed—if they could find the man, of course.

As they headed down to the next level, the torches along the walls became sparse. Dynaheir conjured a mage light, and Silandra managed a small version herself thanks to the more experienced mage's teachings. The lighting was still not ideal, but Jaheira said they should conserve the oil in their lanterns for it would probably get worse. She and Khalid took the lead, since aside from Silandra they were best able to see in dim light.

"D'ya really think there's a dragon down there?" Imoen sidled up to Silandra and whispered. She could probably sense Jaheira's bad mood and did not want to risk riling her.

"I hope not," Silandra replied.

"It probably wouldn't take much to start such rumors amongst the miners down here," Garrick said quietly. He was never far from Imoen's side. "Everything looks more threatening in the dark and some of these men have been down here too long to be completely sane."

"This Emerson must be a slave driver," said Ajantis.

"He doesn't have enough men at the moment," said Silandra. "Maybe he wasn't so bad before this." Of course, she already had her own doubts about him, but maybe she was hoping someone else would provide an explanation.

Their conversation was interrupted by yipping sounds from ahead. Khalid and Jaheira sprang into action, charging at what turned out to be a small band of kobolds. Minsc and Ajantis followed while the others couldn't do much except watch. There wasn't enough space to use ranged weapons or spells without risking hitting their group members. Thankfully, the kobolds were dispatched quickly.

"Not quite demons, huh?" Imoen said cheerfully.

"There c-could still be demons," Khalid said, grimacing as he wiped his sword on a ragged kobold shirt.

"I don't think so," said Ajantis. "I think I would be able to sense if there was such a strong evil force nearby."

"That's a relief," said Silandra, seeing from the looks around her that she spoke for most of the group.

"But there could still be a dragon," Imoen said, not looking all that bothered by the thought.

"I think it unlikely. Yet there is surely _something_ else down here," Dynaheir said. "Kobolds do not possess the intelligence to concoct a plan to poison the ore."

"And even kobolds can be dangerous," Jaheira said. "They are usually in higher numbers than this. We must be prepared for that."

They descended deeper into the mine in silence, no one needing to be told that it was important to listen for danger. There was a scream from somewhere ahead, accompanied by the now familiar yipping of kobolds. The group moved forward quickly but were not in time to save the screaming miner. He fell to the ground before them, an arrow killing him instantly. There were more kobolds this time and the tunnel was wider so there was enough space to fight properly. Silandra and Dynaheir fired magic missiles while Imoen and Garrick shot at the reptile-like creatures. One kobold got a glancing blow off Khalid's armor with his sword, but the archers were the only ones who posed any real danger to the group and they were cut down quickly.

Silandra felt sorry for the poor miner. There was nothing she or the others could do for him; even taking his body out to be properly buried was not possible. She wondered then how many more like him they would encounter, how many more they would be too late to save. If what she had heard about the mine so far was true, there could be many dead miners down here. She wasn't sure if she was prepared for that.

More kobolds sprung upon them as they walked and their progress was considerably slowed, having to keep as quiet as possible and peer around every corner for danger. This task fell to Imoen, her vision strengthened by an infravision spell that Dynaheir had prepared.

"Think there was some kinda big ambush here," Imoen whispered, leaned back from the corner she was scouting. It was difficult to tell in this light but Silandra thought she looked rather pale.

"Then there could be another," Jaheira replied quietly. "You don't see any kobolds at this time?"

"No, just… just the bodies," Imoen said. "No traps either, far as I can tell."

"I don't like it," Jaheira said, glancing around the cavern. "We will go slowly. And warily."

She and Khalid crept forward, and as Silandra got further she saw what Imoen had. There was a narrow bridge over some kind of underground lake and it was strewn with dead miners, their bodies peppered with kobold arrows. There was no smell—the bodies had not been there long.

Still, it appeared the kobolds had gone for the moment. The cavern was eerily silent. Even the miners seemed to be less active on this level. It was no wonder; they probably avoided coming here at all costs. There didn't even seem to be any guards around, though there were posts which were probably manned at some point.

Silandra felt uneasy as she stepped onto the bridge. She made the mistake of looking into the lake. Her mage light lit it up just enough to see that it looked very deep. She cringed and tore her gaze away.

The attack came when the group was approaching the middle of the bridge. Arrows began raining down on them from the cavern walls. There must be alcoves there for the kobolds to shoot from, too far from the bridge to be illuminated by the mage lights. Minsc and Ajantis could do nothing except attempt to shield the more vulnerable members of the group from the missiles. At least Khalid had a bow, though he was obviously not as skilled as he was with his sword and the kobolds did not make easy targets in their current positions. Silandra managed to quickly cast a sleep spell as Dynaheir lit up the other side with a fireball, but there were still many of the monsters remaining.

Silandra yelped in fear when Ajantis barely saved her from an arrow, his shield darting in front of her just in time. She gathered her wits and fired a few magic missiles, though she could not see well enough to aim properly and only one hit. At least her sleep spell seemed to have been effective in stopping some of the kobolds.

"We need to move!" Jaheira cried. "We can't win here!"

The group hurried across the bridge. Silandra felt her heart almost stop beating when she saw Imoen take an arrow in her side, but the thick leather armor must have done its job since she only winced before continuing on. Garrick was humming some kind of tune and seemed to twist away from the arrows easily, and Silandra wondered if that was bardic magic at work. Despite Minsc's best efforts, Dynaheir was struck and the berserker lifted his witch and ran for it, shielding her with his body. Silandra was likely only spared because Ajantis had a shield to protect her with. Just as she thought that though, she felt a sharp pain in her arm. It took her by surprise and she stumbled backwards, very nearly falling into the deep lake. Thankfully Ajantis was there to pull her back from the brink. He pulled her close and they ran, Ajantis with his shield at her back.

It seemed like forever before they reached the other side and rounded a corner, finding themselves in a corridor that was thankfully deserted. Of course, there was no telling how long it would be so. The yipping of the kobolds could still be heard behind them so they pressed on, Garrick supporting Imoen as her strength began to fail.

It was a relief when they rounded another corner and found themselves in a large room, well-guarded with a few miners piling carts with ore. It was well-lit and Jaheira wasted no more time in beginning the healing process, starting with Imoen. Dynaheir bore the wound in her shoulder bravely and insisted she could wait. A few arrows had struck the armored members of the group but the wounds appeared to be superficial. Minsc didn't even care enough to try removing the arrows sticking out of his armor.

"Who are you and what are you doing down here?" called one of the guards, evidently shocked at the group's sudden appearance.

"We are adventurers, here to investigate your mine problems," said Ajantis. "We just encountered a kobold ambush. I'm sure you won't begrudge us the chance to rest and heal here for a short time."

"Of course," the man said quickly. "Forgive me. We are on edge here, as you can imagine. Feel free to relax. The kobolds know better than to enter this room by now."

Silandra gingerly felt the wound in her arm. Thankfully the arrow had only grazed her and although she was bleeding she knew it wasn't serious. It still hurt though. At least she had been prepared for something like this and was wearing one of her already-ruined dresses.

"My—I mean, Silandra—let me heal you," Ajantis said.

"I'm fine, it was just a graze," she said. She realized that the pain seemed to be fading already and a strange warmth was emanating from the wound. Maybe it was even more trivial than she thought, but what was this other feeling? Her eyes widened when she glanced down and saw the wound had disappeared. Her hand was still bloody; she had not imagined it.

"You should let me see, just in case," said Ajantis.

"It didn't hurt me, see?" Silandra said, showing where the arrow had torn her dress. Maybe the blood would blend in with the red fabric.

"What happened?" Ajantis asked, taking her arm gently and tracing his fingers lightly over her skin where the wound had been. He looked confused and she was sure he had seen the blood after all.

"I don't know," she said. "It really was only a graze but… it disappeared."

She looked around and saw that everyone else was occupied, whether waiting to be healed or, in Minsc's case, watching the room's entrance for threats. Now that he had Dynaheir back he watched her like a hawk. It had been difficult to even convince him to sleep at night and let someone else keep watch, though thankfully he got along well with Khalid and trusted him quickly. He liked Ajantis too, though the paladin had not quite warmed up to him yet, which Silandra thought was strange. She hoped Ajantis wasn't still holding a grudge against him for not 'treating her like a lady' or whatever other nonsense he thought the berserker was guilty of.

"Please don't mention this to anyone else," she said. "Not until I know what it means."

"Very well," said Ajantis, though she could tell he was dying to discuss it further. He seemed to realize he was still holding her arm and let go quickly.

"Let's ask these miners if they know Kylee," Silandra said, glad to have an excuse to put off the discussion for now. "I'm sure he'll want his dagger sooner rather than later with so many kobolds around."

Kylee was easy to find and he was glad to have his dagger back. He wasn't as thin and scraggly as many of the miners, obviously one of the few strong enough to fight back if needed.

"What do you know about the happenings in the mine?" Silandra asked.

"Kobolds!" Kylee exclaimed. "They're overrunning the place piece by piece. We used to see them occasionally but now you can't go more than a few feet without kicking one of them on the lower levels. It's not so bad up here with the guards around. Still, I wouldn't get caught in the dark if I were you."

"We've encountered the kobolds," Silandra said. "Anything else?"

"Not that I know of, but you know they're not too smart," said Kylee. "Must be someone giving them orders. If you'll excuse me, I'd better get back to work."

He meandered over to one of the half-filled carts to continue loading it with poisoned ore. Silandra wondered why anyone even bothered. To her it seemed the ore in its current state was close to being as useful as having none at all.

"We should rest here," said Ajantis. "Jaheira will be tired and we may not get another chance for a while."

"I'll ask her," Silandra said, not relishing the thought. "Though she doesn't seem very pleased with me recently."

"I think she is just used to being in charge," said Ajantis. "Maybe she doesn't like to see you doing just as good a job."

"Thank you, but I am not nearly as competent as Jaheira," Silandra said, unable to keep herself from smiling.

Luckily it seemed Jaheira had been thinking the same thing they were. She looked and sounded exhausted as she announced they should rest for the night—if it _was_ night, since there was no real way of telling underground. Imoen and Dynaheir especially needed to rest, for though they had been healed they had lost a lot of blood.

They set up their bedrolls at the back of the room, trying to be unobtrusive. The guards said watch was kept in that room all night since the recent happenings in the mine so they did not need to set their own guards.

Ajantis purposefully put his bedroll beside Silandra's, though at a respectable distance. She could tell by the expression on his face that he wanted to talk about what had happened. Imoen was on her other side, already half-asleep. Minsc and Boo were listening to some tale Garrick was telling. Minsc always said that it was really Boo who liked to hear the stories but the expression on his face as Garrick spoke betrayed him. Khalid and Jaheira were engaged in what looked to be a serious discussion while Dynaheir was poring over her spellbook, though she looked like she was too tired to last long. This was as good a time as any.

"When you healed yourself, did you feel anything?" Ajantis began slowly, as if expecting her to stop him.

"It was like… a warmth flowing through me," Silandra replied. "Like magic, only… different. I can't explain it any better than that."

"Perhaps some god has chosen you," Ajantis said, his eyes lighting up. "Maybe they are trying to tell you that it is time to choose."

Silandra sighed. She wished he had not brought this up but she didn't have any better ideas as to what had happened. "I don't want to choose. And even if I did, how would I know which one is responsible for this?"

"It just bothers me that you are so against choosing a god to revere," Ajantis said. He looked uncomfortable and Silandra thought he may stop there, but she was not so lucky. "It isn't safe. You should take this as a sign. I won't try and convert you to Helm of course. I think… a less stringent god may be better suited to you, Silandra."

"And which would you suggest?" Silandra asked, genuinely curious about what his answer would be if not Helm.

"I think Sune would suit you," Ajantis said, his faint blush just visible in the torchlight. "You said you are familiar with the gods, and it does seem strange that you would not choose Sune as you are very beautiful."

"Gorion pushed me from that path early on, and perhaps it was for the best." Silandra paused, unsure whether she wanted to continue or not. She usually found talking easy but this was just one of the subjects she was uncomfortable with. "It is…very difficult for me to not be obsessed with beauty and I think Sune would only have exacerbated that. No, I do not think Sune is for me."

"Did Gorion offer an alternative?" Ajantis asked, frowning. "It seems strange that he would not encourage you to find a god that calls to you."

"Oh yes," said Silandra, smiling faintly. "He thought I should choose Oghma. I do like learning, but there's something that always seemed kind of stuffy about such a god. It would have been an easy path, since he was the most popular deity in Candlekeep and there was a shrine there. But he just isn't for me."

"What about Tyr? I know he is usually revered by priests and paladins, but I think you are a just person, perhaps…"

"I'm sorry, Ajantis." Silandra felt incredibly tired all of a sudden. "I can't choose now. Perhaps if I knew why I was able to heal myself like that it would carry some weight but, as it is, I don't."

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Ajantis said, sighing and leaning back. "Faith cannot be forced and I am sorry if it seemed like that was what I was doing. I just… worry about you."

"I've got this far without it, haven't I?"

"Yes, but you seem to be in more danger now than you have been previously. But never mind. I will do my best to protect you."

Silandra smiled, finding herself blushing now. She had to stop doing that. "I appreciate it. I think I'm going to study my spellbook for a while."

"Of course," Ajantis said quickly. "Don't let me keep you. I need to clean my sword and armor myself."

Silandra felt there was a moment of awkwardness as they resituated themselves, but it passed quickly and soon she was absorbed in her spellbook. There were now a few new spells in there thanks to Dynaheir, though actually being able to cast them was no easy matter. She had thought infravision would be simple having cast from a scroll before, but the forms just did not feel right in her head yet. She chose that as her focus for the night, for she was sure it would prove useful if they had to spend much more time in the mine.


	14. Chapter 14

If not for the fact she woke up eventually, Silandra would have said she had not slept at all. Lying on the hard stone floor was only mildly more uncomfortable than sleeping outside, but even though the room was lit up she kept thinking she saw monsters in the shadows and this affected her sleep. Waking to false light didn't help either. It just seemed so wrong, and it was some time before she felt she was truly awake.

There was no way to tell time down here except to speak to the guards, who were different from the ones who had been posted the night before. They said it was early morning, and the miners were different too, considerably fresher looking than the previous. Silandra hoped that meant the others were getting a good amount of rest somewhere safe.

Her group ate a quick breakfast of rations before moving on. The guards said they would probably have to go deeper before they found anything of note, and that the lower levels were no longer mined. Even if they had the men, it just wasn't safe. With all the kobolds Silandra and her companions had encountered the day before, she was worried about what would be considered more dangerous. The earlier reports of demons and dragons came to mind but she dismissed them quickly.

They had not been walking for long when the kobolds reappeared to harass them. At least it was easy enough to take them down when they could actually reach and see them, and their presence was more an annoyance than a true danger.

They were descending into the next level of the mine when they killed a pair of kobolds who were hovering around a mine cart. Imoen had been going through the pockets of those they killed as they went, finding some gold and even a few gems here and there, but this time she found something more interesting.

"What d'ya think this is?" she asked, waving a vial of green liquid in the air.

Jaheira took it from her quickly. "Be careful! This may be what has been tainting the ore. Perhaps it would be wise to stand back," she said.

Once her advice was heeded, Jaheira lifted the cork carefully, keeping her face well away from the bottle. But nothing happened. There wasn't even any noticeable smell. Jaheira leaned forward and took a careful sniff of the vial's contents.

"This poses no obvious danger, but it is unnatural," she said.

"Let me see," Dynaheir said.

Silandra half-expected Jaheira to deny the request, but she handed the vial over willingly enough.

Dynaheir performed her own smell test, before taking the vial in both hands and murmuring a few words—a divination, Silandra thought.

"A skilled alchemist hath made this," Dynaheir said after a few moments. "As you may expect, it corrodes iron, though the effects are not apparent until it sees sunlight."

"So these poor miners could be thinking some of this ore is fine until they bring it all the way to the surface?" Silandra asked.

"I believe so," Dynaheir said.

"Is this safe to carry with us?" Jaheira asked.

"Yes," Dynaheir said, and handed it back to Jaheira. "We should be doubly wary from here. I doubt the maker of this compound is in the mine but if they are, they will prove a dangerous opponent."

Jaheira carefully stowed the vial in her pack and the group continued on. They were descending again, and Silandra felt a shiver run down her spine. She had never been underground before and never gone so long without seeing the sun, yet she had not expected it to affect her so much. The walls felt like they were pressing in around her but she told herself that was just in her mind and continued on. It began getting even darker and Jaheira finally declared it was time to get out their lanterns.

Imoen was still scouting ahead, making use of another infravision spell. She stopped to peer at something on the ground, though seemed hesitant to get too close. As Silandra approached she saw what it was and gagged.

On the cold stone floor of the mine was likely all that remained of one unfortunate miner. It was a human hand, still in the early stages of decomposition.

"Poor sod," Imoen said. "I hate doin' this but…"

She bent and gingerly removed something from the hand.

"What are you doing?" Jaheira asked, echoing Silandra's own thoughts.

"Thought this looked special," Imoen said, holding out her hand. In it lay a greenstone ring. "It's engraved, see? Think it's a wedding ring."

"Poor guy," Garrick said, his disgusted expression quickly making way for sorrow.

"We should take it with us," said Imoen, putting it into one of her many pockets. "His wife may be looking for him."

"We can ask around Nashkel once we return, though I think we can all agree it would be unwise to tell her how we found her husband… or what's left of him," Jahiera said, eyeing the dead man's hand with pity rather than distaste.

Their venture into the mine had been somber from the beginning, but it felt even more so now. Silandra wondered how many other wives were missing their husbands and would never know for sure what happened. Most were probably dead down here, but she suspected having proof brought a kind of closure which might make it easier to move on.

The cart tracks ended rather abruptly and the torches stopped completely. It seemed the miners had broken into a series of natural caves. They were wider than the twisting tunnels of the mines, and deadly quiet. Silandra wondered if that might be a sign of a demon after all. She glanced at Ajantis beside her, his face lit up by her small magelight, but he did not appear to be concerned. She tried to make herself trust in his ability to sense such creatures should they be present.

Even as she thought that, he paused. "Beware," he said, speaking only loudly enough for Imoen to hear from a few paces ahead. "There is some kind of undead creature ahead… maybe more than one."

Minsc was obviously raring to charge despite not actually being able to see his opponent yet, but Dynaheir had been impressing upon him the importance of caution and he heeded her words now.

They slowed their pace, keeping an eye out for whatever it was Ajantis had sensed. Silandra kept thinking she saw something moving about, but it was likely just shadows caused by the flickering of the lanterns.

Finally, they encountered something more substantial than a shadow. First there was the smell of decay, followed by a groan as a horrible creature made of dead flesh shambled towards them. Imoen was quick to draw her bow and fire before darting behind the stronger fighters. The arrow struck the ghoul in the chest but did nothing to slow it down. It lunged at Minsc with bony claws and the berserker shifted so that they scraped harmlessly against his armor.

The monster barely reacted when it was pierced by swords and more missiles. The trick, it seemed, was to chop off its head, which Khalid did a few moments later. Silandra could feel the tension in the air as the group waited in silence. But it seemed there was only one of them. Silandra was glad; she knew ghouls could cause a horrible sickness with their claws and didn't dare hope her companions would be lucky enough to escape unscathed if they had to face a group of them.

"I think that's it," Ajantis said. "I'm not sensing anything else."

The mood of the group relaxed only slightly. They were still deep underground and ghouls were mindless—there was no way that creature had been in charge of the kobolds, directing them to poison the ore. There had to be something else and it was probably much worse.

Silandra again felt that the caves were too small, that she could barely even breathe. She focused on putting one foot before the other and tried not to let the oppressive darkness get to her. Surely they had to be getting close now. Close to what exactly, she did not know, but she was nearing a point where she'd go through anything just to reach sunlight again.

She could soon make out a faint skittering noise coming from up ahead. She hoped she was imagining it but it was obvious she wasn't. Imoen turned back to face the group, her face drained of color.

"Spiders!" she whispered. "_Giant_ spiders!"

Next to demons and dragons, that had to be one of the last things Silandra wanted to face down here. She was terrified of normal-sized spiders, even the ones that were not venomous. She didn't even want to _look_ at giant ones. And once again, this was something that could not be directing the kobolds. They were just another obstacle, another delay.

Silandra hung back as much as possible while the rest of the group moved forward. Minsc didn't seem to be afraid of anything. Neither did Ajantis, for that matter. But Silandra was coming to suspect Khalid was just excellent at hiding his anxiety when he was fighting. She thought he looked a little on edge now as he moved further down the passage and into a large cavern.

The spiders were even bigger than she had imagined—almost the size of a horse!—and there were a lot of them. Minsc launched himself among them with his usual enthusiasm while Ajantis and Khalid were more cautious. Jaheira elected to stay out of the melee and instead fired at the monsters with her sling. Silandra grit her teeth and made herself look long enough to cast a sleep spell, but to her dismay it only affected a few. Dynaheir was firing magic missiles and let out a torrent of flames when one bypassed Minsc and dove for her. It crumbled into a charred heap at her feet and Dynaheir herself appeared unfazed. Silandra wished she could be as brave.

Garrick and Imoen kept to the back of the group, firing carefully aimed missiles into the spiders. Garrick was humming, something Silandra was beginning to realize he did often while they were fighting. It wasn't an obvious sound, not enough to cause Jaheira to yell at him for distracting them, but the faint melody seemed to inspire courage. Silandra felt brave enough to look at how the swordsmen were managing and contribute some magic missiles.

Minsc was sending spider legs flying, spraying black blood everywhere, though he was looking a little green and he was favoring his left arm. Silandra hoped Jaheira was skilled enough to stop poison for it looked like they would need it.

The spiders seemed to make good use of their many eyes and Silandra winced every time they hit their targets. The moment the last of the arachnids curled up and died, Ajantis stumbled and gripped the wall for support. Khalid seemed to have avoided any serious injury and he was quick to support the paladin. Minsc still looked terrible, but he remained standing.

"Dynaheir, I feel…strange," he said, his voice quiet for once.

"Sit," Dynaheir ordered. "You have been poisoned and must be healed."

Minsc lowered himself to the ground obediently. Boo scuttled out from wherever he'd been hiding and peered at the berserker in what might be worry.

Jaheira was quick to act. She went to Ajantis first, and Silandra looked on nervously as she healed him. When she moved onto Minsc, Silandra moved to sit beside the paladin, who still didn't look good.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I will be," he replied, offering a strained smile. "I just need to rest."

Another night down here? Silandra didn't like to think about that. But Ajantis clearly wasn't going to be able to move quickly let alone fight any time soon, and Minsc probably wouldn't be doing much better. Khalid was now sitting too. It looked like he had also been poisoned, but not so badly. Hopefully they could at least move away from all the dead spiders before resting. Every now and then, one of their many legs twitched and Silandra's heart skipped a beat as she worried they may be coming back to life. No such thing happened, of course, but it was easy to fear the worst down here.

After the healing was complete, Jaheira looked as exhausted as those she had just healed. There was no avoiding it—they would not go any further without a break. They backtracked to one of the smaller caves they had passed to make their camp. Rations were passed out, and now the question of who would keep watch was brought up.

"Well, most of you need to rest," Silandra said. "I only need a few hours; I still have a few casts left. I can keep watch."

Jaheira sighed, but there was obviously no avoiding it this time. "Very well," she said. "You can take first watch with Imoen. Don't make me regret giving you both this chance."

Imoen's face lit up and she winked at Silandra, who smiled in return. Jaheira's wording rubbed Silandra the wrong way and she wondered if the druid would ever really trust her and Imoen.

"I can go next," said Khalid. He looked tired, but not nearly as bad as Minsc or Ajantis. "I'll be much better after a short rest."

"Very well," said Jaheira. "Garrick, you can join him."

Of course, Garrick was required to tell a story before he could rest. Dynaheir tried to get Minsc to sleep but he said it was impossible for Boo to go to bed without a bedtime story, and if Boo couldn't sleep then neither could Minsc.

Garrick was flattered of course, and he proceeded with his usual gusto. Minsc passed out after only a few moments but the bard continued regardless, probably for Imoen and Boo's sake.

Ajantis also seemed to be intent on remaining awake. He sat propped against the cave wall so that he had a good view of the entrance.

"You really should get some sleep," Silandra said. "It's safe enough here, and Imoen and I will keep watch. It's our first time and we have to show Jaheira we can handle it so you know we'll do a great job."

"I'm sure you will," said Ajantis, smiling. "It's not that I don't trust you, or Imoen. I just don't like letting my guard down in a place like this. At least up above there were guards about, and the room was lit up. What if there are more spiders, or undead?"

"Then we'll wake you," Silandra said. "For now, you need to rest. Who knows what else we'll find down here? You need to be prepared."

"I know you speak sense. I will try."

He did sleep finally, despite stubbornly trying to keep his eyes open for as long as he could.

Silandra found it easy to stay awake, even after everyone except Imoen had fallen asleep. She wasn't sure she could sleep here if she tried. Again, the cave seemed to be pressing in on her, but she knew it was just her nerves. She tried to focus on her breathing. Slow, deep breaths. There was plenty of air down here. No reason to panic.

Imoen came to sit beside her.

"You doin' okay Sil?" she asked. "You look kinda pale."

"I suppose being underground does not agree with me," said Silandra. "Especially for so long. But I'll be fine."

"At least your magic is getting better," said Imoen. "Dynaheir must be a great teacher, huh?"

"She is. Kind of strict though, but I think I need that."

"That's what I was afraid of." Imoen sighed in apparent disappointment.

"Is that why you haven't yet asked her to teach you something? I'm sure she would be a much better mentor than Xzar."

"I wasn't really learning anything from Xzar," Imoen said. "I just liked looking at his spellbook because it's as crazy as he is. Dynaheir kinda scares me."

That was surprising. Imoen very rarely seemed to be afraid of anything, except for the giant spiders of course but that was understandable. If the cold darkness of the mine bothered her, she did not show it.

"Why is that?" Silandra asked, frowning.

"She reminds me of some of the monks back home. Like she'd yell at you and give you extra chores if you fail to answer her questions."

"You know that's not going to happen here though. Dynaheir _is_ strict but I've been learning a lot from her. She's better than the monks. I'm sure she'd be willing to teach you if you asked."

"Will she make me study?" Imoen asked.

Silandra smiled at that. "Well, yes. You kind of have to study if you want to learn magic."

"If we survive this mine then maybe I'll ask her." Despite her words, it didn't seem like Imoen was really afraid they would not escape alive. Silandra tried to share in her optimism.

"Doesn't Garrick know a little magic? I thought you might have tried talking to him about it. You seem to spend a lot of time together."

"Bardic magic is different." Imoen sighed heavily. "I can't carry a tune, you know that. And I don't think I can learn either."

Silandra briefly considered teasing her about Garrick, just a little. But the thought of how uncomfortable it made her feel when Imoen did the same about Ajantis stopped her.

"Maybe I could try to teach you after a while," she said. "I don't know how good a teacher I'd make though."

"I'll keep it in mind if Dynaheir doesn't work out."

Silandra didn't reply; she thought she had seen something moving in the darkness outside their cave.

"Sil, what is it?" Imoen asked, following her gaze.

Silandra remained quiet, still watching. But there was no accompanying sound and all appeared still now that she was focusing. Just an illusion caused by the flickering lantern light.

"It's nothing. I keep thinking I see things but… there's nothing there. I just can't wait until we're out of this place."

"Me too." Imoen finally showed the faintest sign of fear.

Both sat and watched in almost complete silence from that moment on, peering into the darkness at the cave's entrance, but they saw nothing but shadows.


	15. Chapter 15

The night seemed to last forever. Silandra thought she slept for an hour or two at most, despite how tired she was. She hated this place and it was beginning to take its toll on her emotions. She did not cry, but she felt like it.

After she had been tossing and turning for hours, she heard some of the others begin to rouse. She knew that even if she did fall asleep now the others would soon be ready to move so she made a show of rubbing her eyes and getting up. She tried not to think about how terrible she probably looked. She still didn't have a mirror as that was not considered a necessity, nor was it particularly cheap. She redid her hair, confirming with Imoen that it looked alright. That was the best she could do down here.

The group moved more slowly now, past the spiders and further into the dark caverns. A horrible thought came to mind—what if they got lost down here? So far, their way had mostly been straight with only dead ends off to the sides, but that may change. They may have to turn, and then again, and then—they may not find their way back. Silandra paused a moment, reaching out her hand to steady herself on the cave wall before withdrawing it just before making contact. There were probably bugs on the walls.

"Silandra, are you alright?" Ajantis asked.

"Fine," she replied. "I didn't sleep well. But I'm fine."

"Here, take my arm," he said.

She acquiesced, if only because she was definitely feeling unsteady on her feet all of a sudden. She was now convinced there _wasn't_ enough air down here. Each breath seemed harder to take, though she continued as well as she could. Surely there had to be an _end_ to this soon. She realized the caves seemed to be getting warmer and she wondered how that could be. Maybe she was beginning to go mad.

"Wait up," Imoen said quietly. "Think there's a trap of some kind."

The tunnel ahead was narrowing and there was another bridge. It was much shorter and narrower than the one on which they had been ambushed on their first day in the mine, but this one crossed a river of lava. Well, that would explain the warmth. Silandra tightened her grip on Ajantis' arm and her magelight shimmered in the air in front of them, almost going out completely.

"Maybe you should rest a moment," Ajantis said. "You look tired, and—"

"No!" Silandra said quickly. "I just need to get out of here. No more resting."

The threat of another delay frightened her enough to make her focus on just standing upright and keeping her magelight going.

Imoen had been fiddling with something on the ground by the bridge and now stood, peering into the darkness ahead.

"Trap's disarmed but… I think there's something ahead," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Jaheira looked into the tunnel past the bridge for a few moments and shook her head. "I can't see anything but I agree, this feels like another ambush."

"Step back," Dynaheir said, taking a few steps forward herself.

Jaheira hesitated a moment, likely as curious as everyone else, but Dynaheir had proven dependable so far and that was likely the only reason the druid did not demand an explanation before obeying.

Dynaheir murmured a quick spell, causing a flaming arrow to streak through the tunnel. As it did, there were a few surprised yips from the kobolds who were briefly illuminated. They seemed to realize they had been discovered and began their attack.

Dynaheir dashed towards the back of the group just in time to avoid their arrows while Minsc, Khalid and Ajantis crossed the bridge and dove into battle.

The kobolds had likely been relying on taking the group by surprise and they did not have the numbers to cause any real harm. Had Dynaheir not uncovered them, however, Silandra did not like to think what would have happened. She focused on _not_ looking into the lava as she crossed the bridge. One of her companions or even she herself could have ended up falling in if the kobolds had attacked as planned.

They were now in a larger cave with a narrow tunnel leading away. Imoen approached slowly and signaled for the others to stop as she disarmed more traps.

"Are you feeling better?" Ajantis asked, coming to stand near Silandra as they waited.

"Fine, I think," Silandra replied. "Maybe whoever or whatever's in charge down here is through this tunnel. We never encountered so many traps before."

"It's possible. I sense evil, though it's still definitely not a demon. We will vanquish it and then we can return to the surface."

She could tell he was trying to make her feel better, but she did not know how much of what he said was what he believed versus what he thought she wanted to hear. She only smiled in response and they moved on, Imoen having declared the area free of traps.

The tunnel opened into a vast cavern with another lake. A bridge led to some kind of stone structure, possibly man-made. Silandra was not well-versed enough in cave systems to know if it could be natural. It looked kind of like a cave within a cave, something she may have found amusing at another time.

There were more kobolds to dispatch and these ones shot flaming arrows. One grazed Jaheira's side, which would not have been much of an issue if not for the fact that it set the sleeve of her tunic on fire. She was distracted for a moment trying to put it out and Khalid had to block another arrow from hitting her with his shield.

Ultimately, even with fire arrows the kobolds shooting them died as easily as the others. Now Silandra stared at the structure before them. She knew they had to go inside but she would rather run away.

"I will cast a blessing before we enter," said Jaheira, who had recovered quickly from being set alight and only had a singed tunic to show for it.

She began casting and a white light settled over the group. Silandra could not tell whether or not she felt any different, but maybe it would show once they began fighting. She felt a fear she never had before, not even when facing the spiders. It was this place, suffocating her and making her feel like she would be trapped here forever. She followed the others into the domed structure, only now realizing that she would not be able to do much casting. She had not slept enough and she could feel her energy was low. That wasn't ideal but there wasn't anything to be done about it now.

They fought more kobolds as they made their way through a cramped tunnel. There was an opening off to the side, and Imoen only peered around the corner for a moment before stepping back.

"There's a guy in there," she whispered. "I'm pretty sure he knows we're here, what with all the noise from the fighting. He's casting spells of some kind."

"A 'guy'?" Jaheira repeated. "A mage?"

"Don't think so. A cleric maybe. He's green and he has tusks."

"So probably not the alchemist." Jaheira seemed relieved. "We will attack but Khalid and I will protect the rear. There are further rooms and there could be more kobolds."

No one argued and they moved into the room quickly, weapons drawn and in battle formation.

Silandra was stunned at how well the room was decorated. It almost looked homey, though she still did not think it made up for the lack of sunlight. The stone floor was strewn with colorful rugs and there were ornate furnishings including a table, chairs and large bed. There was also a sturdy-looking chest, but standing in front of it was a half-orc. He was undeniably ugly, for his nose was large and porcine and his tusks long and pronounced. His skin had a sickly green tone to it, and Silandra wondered if that were his normal shade or a product of too much time spent below ground. She rejected that thought quickly though—orcs probably liked dark caves like this. He wore chain mail and was armed with a morning star and shield. He had not yet taken a fighting stance though he was gleaming with protective magic.

"Tazok must have sent you," he said. His voice was deep but he somehow managed to sound whiny. "I suppose you killed my poor pets on your way in! By Cyric, not a measure of ore leaves these mines unspoiled and Tazok sends you to kill me? I will not die for this!"

Silandra grimaced. That was one god she knew she would never follow. Cyric was known as the Mad God and his followers tended to live up to that title. If she had been feeling more herself she may have considered playing along with the half-orc in case she learned something, but as it was Ajantis was at the head of the group and he probably didn't have what it took to be deceptive.

"You will tell us who you are and what you are doing here if you want a chance at living," Ajantis said. He and Minsc stood side by side, ready to attack.

"More intruders then?" the half-orc replied, and it seemed as though some of the tension left his body. "A bigger group than the last, but your fate will be the same regardless. Minions, come forth and kill them!"

He began to chant a spell just as a swarm of kobolds and skeletons appeared at the entrance. Silandra had never seen animated skeletons before and had never been interested in learning how to make them either. She hated the thought that they had once been people, their bodies now being used by dark magic to kill without a thought, and wondered if they were the bodies of dead miners. Enchantments would not work on undead creatures, perhaps because they did not have minds of their own, so she instead cast a magic missile. It was enough to shatter her target into shards of broken bone but there was another behind it. Ajantis stepped in, delivering a crushing blow with his sword.

Silandra glanced at the half-orc just in time to see his spell land on Minsc, freezing the berserker mid-swing. She felt her blood run cold and did the only thing she could think of, sending a magic missile at the half-orc. It was completely absorbed by his magical protections and he grinned at her before rounding on Minsc.

Thankfully Ajantis noticed what was happening in time to intervene, but as well as being a skilled priest the half-orc proved to be a strong fighter, his physical abilities likely enhanced by magic. No one else was available to help; Khalid and Jaheira could not be seen through the mass of kobolds and skeletons and Imoen and Garrick were fending off the creatures as well as they could, though melee was not either of their strong points. Dynaheir could not make use of her more devasting spells in such close quarters but she did seem to hold her own well enough, setting kobolds on fire and shattering skeletons with a few well-aimed blows from her staff.

Silandra did not feel she could cast anymore today and besides, anything she did would likely be absorbed just like the magic missiles. Instead, she reached for the darts she'd purchased back in Candlekeep. She had seldom needed to use them and was not at all confident in her ability to actually hit anything, but she could not let Minsc and Ajantis die without at least trying.

Her first dart flew far from her target, instead embedding itself in the wooden bedframe. The half-orc did not seem at all concerned about her efforts, parrying and absorbing Ajantis' blows as though they were nothing and getting in a few of his own. Minsc still stood motionless, and although the kobolds and skeletons had nearly all been killed Jaheira and Garrick were on the ground. Silandra would not let herself think what that could mean.

She threw another dart, though this time her aim was so bad she nearly hit Minsc. She cringed. Maybe this was not such a good idea, and with the way Ajantis' blows were being absorbed, she wasn't convinced her darts would be effective even if she could hit her mark. She did have one more option. Her dagger was enchanted; perhaps it could pierce through the half-orc's protections. But how could she get close enough?

She had an idea but did not know whether she had the energy. She saw Ajantis take a crushing blow to the ribs. He was slowing down and Minsc showed no sign of moving. She made up her mind and moved closer, and this time when the half-orc saw her and smirked she held his gaze. His will was strong, but she only needed him for a moment. As soon as he was hers she darted forward and plunged her dagger into his unprotected neck. She was not strong enough to drive it in too deep but that wasn't necessary. She had hit a major artery and his blood flowed quickly. She continued to hold him with her mind, knowing there was a chance he could heal himself if she did not, and only relaxed when he was breathing his last.

There was blood everywhere—all over him, all over the floor and all over her. She felt sick and for a moment thought she may pass out. But her will to get out of this cave kept her awake. She needed to escape, and then she could rest all she wanted.

She tore her gaze away from the dead half-orc, wiping away the tears that were running down her face. Why was she crying? She had killed a man, yes, but had he not deserved it? She focused on her friends.

Minsc's fingers were beginning to twitch; he would be alright soon. Ajantis was on the ground, holding his side where his armor had been crushed, but at least he was still conscious. Garrick was propped up against the cave wall while Imoen put pressure on a wound in leg. What worried her most was Jaheira. Khalid was bent over her, blocking her body from view, while Dynaheir was sitting beside them rummaging through Jaheira's pack. Silandra took another glimpse at Ajantis before hurrying over to see how the druid was doing.

Jaheira was unconscious but still breathing. Khalid seemed at a loss—he was putting pressure on a wound in her chest that had torn right through her chain armor, but other than that he looked pale and not quite there.

"I thought we had a healing potion," Dynaheir said. She sounded a little frustrated but otherwise seemed calm considering the circumstances. "Who hath it?"

Khalid was unresponsive and Dynaheir set aside the pack with a sigh, murmuring something that may have been a curse in another language.

"I think we used it after the spiders," Imoen said quietly. Her face was ashen and her hands covered in Garrick's blood. She herself had a few scratches but was mostly unharmed.

"Silandra."

It was Ajantis, his voice low but steady. Silandra turned to look at him and saw with shock that he was trying to pull himself towards her, though it was obviously exacerbating his wounds.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Help me over to her. I can probably heal her enough to save her," he said.

"Should you be moving?"

"Probably not, but she can help me after. It is my duty to help others above myself."

Silandra knew she would not be able to convince him otherwise, and Jaheira was running out of time. So she did as he asked and helped him move the few feet to where the others were sitting.

"I will heal her," Ajantis said, falling to his knees beside Khalid.

Khalid did not seem to hear him at first, and it took some coaxing for him to remove his hands from Jaheira's wound. Ajantis moved her torn armor aside gingerly and lay his hands on her chest. A blue light shone from his hands, enveloping Jaheira completely and she was soon breathing much easier. She opened her eyes and sighed.

"Ja-Jaheira!" Khalid cried, as if she weren't right in front of him. "Are you alright?"

"I've been better." She winced and sat slowly, evidently not completely healed, but at least she was awake. "Who else needs healing?"

"Ajantis," said Silandra.

"Garrick," Ajantis said at the same time.

They glanced at each other, and Silandra looked at Garrick, who was quite pale now, likely losing a lot of blood despite Imoen's efforts.

"Ajantis, you will have to remove your armor first," Jaheira said as she moved towards Garrick, supported by her husband.

"I'll help," Silandra said, since she was pretty sure Ajantis wouldn't be able to do it himself.

He settled down and let her undo the straps keeping his armor in place, and she cringed as she gently pulled it away from his skin. Parts of the armor had been pushed into the flesh and it had to hurt as she lifted it away, but he grit his teeth and bore it well.

"Sorry," she murmured, feeling bad about hurting him anyway.

"Don't be," he said. "It had to be done. Thank you."

He closed his eyes and winced. Silandra was alarmed at how ragged his breathing was. It was getting worse. She didn't need to be a healer to see that his ribs were broken, and she knew that meant they could be puncturing his lungs.

She looked over at Jaheira, who was still occupied with Garrick. Well, maybe she could do something. She lay her hands gently over Ajantis' wound and tried to heal him. She had done it to herself before, had she not? But nothing seemed to be happening. She realized then that she was trying to draw upon her magic as she usually did, but that was arcane and healing magic was divine. And she had not even really been thinking anything much when she healed herself except that her arm hurt.

"What are you doing?" Ajantis murmured.

"Trying to heal you," Silandra said.

This time she just focused on the fact that someone she cared about was in pain and she wanted to heal them. To her relief, she felt that same warmth spreading from her fingertips. The wound did not disappear, but something seemed to have happened because Ajantis did not appear to be having quite so much trouble breathing.

"This… healing," he said. "We need to get to the bottom of it. But thank you."

Silandra smiled a little in response, relieved, but then Jaheira was there and she had to move.

Imoen was already examining the chest in the room, likely checking for traps before opening it. That was probably a good idea considering all the traps they had encountered on the way in. Dynaheir was with Minsc who had now recovered and was distraught over having being rendered helpless when his friends needed him. She consoled him as well as she could but he was on the brink of tears. Silandra smiled. He really was soft-hearted despite his fearsome appearance.

Now that it was mostly quiet, she thought she heard a sound coming from nearby. It was very soft, but then she heard it again. She wasn't imagining things. She lightly stepped towards the entrance of the room and peered around the corner. She knew this wasn't a big structure, having seen it from the outside, and she was fairly certain all of the half-orc's minions would have been alerted by his earlier call, but she wanted to be careful anyway.

Her magelight had long since disappeared as she no longer had the energy to keep it up, but Dynaheir's was still going and although one of the lanterns had gone out during the fight the other was still lit. She went back to pick it up before continuing.

"Where are you going?" Ajantis asked, sounding a little panicked. Jaheira was still working on him and he was obviously in no state to get up but he tried anyway, causing the druid to push him back down firmly.

"I think it's safe enough," Silandra said. "I heard something. I think there's someone else here, someone who needs help."

"Khalid, go with her," Jaheira said.

Khalid had been hovering around his wife anxiously even now that she was up and moving. He nodded and moved towards Silandra, looking back at Jaheira every now and then as if to make sure she was still there.

"Don't worry, Jaheira will be fine now," Silandra said, smiling a little. Jaheira was lucky to have someone who cared about her so much. She felt the slightest twinge of jealousy at the thought.

They headed into the next cave, bare compared to the previous room. The light from the lantern was enough for Khalid and Silandra to make out the details of the cave, which was evidently a dungeon. There was only one prisoner shackled to the wall, a slight figure in a long dirty robe. Silandra rushed over. As she grew closer she could make out long pointed ears through the matted dark hair. An elf! She had always been entranced by elves, though many of those who came through Candlekeep tended to be boring. This one wasn't looking their best right now and she couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman, but whoever they were they needed help.

"Khalid, bring Imoen over here!" she said urgently, before turning back to the elf.

"It will be okay now," she said softly. "That half-orc, whoever he was, he's dead and we'll get you out of here."

The elf lifted their head wearily, eyes widening upon seeing her. A man, she thought, which was confirmed when he began to speak. He was murmuring something fervently in Elvish, though Silandra had only learned the basics in Candlekeep and she did not understand. She hoped he spoke Common. Khalid returned, Imoen in tow.

"Do you know what he's saying?" she asked.

"He th-thinks he's dead and that you're an e-elven g-g-goddess," Khalid said, looking a little embarrassed.

Imoen didn't need to be told what to do; she was already working on the shackles.

"I uh… I'm flattered," Silandra said. "I'm not a goddess though, and you're not dead. My name is Silandra. Do you speak Common?"

The elf blinked a few times and seemed to realize where he was.

"It would have been too good to be true I suppose," he said blearily. "But Mulahey, he is really dead?"

His voice had an oddly hollow ring to it, and Silandra wondered if that were normal or due to his imprisonment. She knew she would likely go mad if she had to spend much longer here, and it must be worse for an elf.

"That's the half-orc's name? Yes. I… I killed him." Silandra did not like to think about the exact manner in which she had done so. His blood on her dress had not yet dried and she grimaced at the thought of walking back through the caves without being able to wash it off properly.

"Okay, I got it," Imoen said.

There was a click and the shackles opened. The elf began to fall to the floor but Silandra caught him. She may not be very strong but he didn't weigh much and she was just able to keep him propped up.

"Are you injured?" Silandra asked. "We have a healer."

"I'm not sure Jaheira can do much more before resting," Khalid said, stepping in to help support the elf.

"No," the elf said, sighing. "Just… dirty, and sore. I thank you for my freedom. I am Xan."

They settled him down with the rest of the group. Silandra gave him her waterskin, which he drank from eagerly. She hoped she would be able to refill it soon. She was glad to see that everyone was more or less healed now, though they were going to need to rest. She almost cried in despair at the thought, but at least they had likely killed the one responsible for everything.

"This half-orc, his name was Mulahey," said Dynaheir, who was holding a stack of papers retrieved from the chest. "He had the responsibility of poisoning the ore and it doth seem the bandit attacks were related. Two organizations art mentioned—the Chill and the Blacktalon. This Tazok seems important, and although we cannot know whither he may be, we hath a lead. His contact, a man named Tranzig, is staying at Feldepost's Inn in Beregost."

"Then I guess we'd better head there next," said Silandra. She turned to the elf. "Are you able to add anything to this?"

"I think Mulahey was at least half mad, but you have the gist of it," the elf said. "He was holding me captive for questioning but thankfully he seemed to forget I existed half the time. He wanted to keep me alive to bring to his superiors when his job here was done. Tazok is a half-ogre, so you're aware."

"A half ogre intelligent enough to write?" Jaheira asked, raising an eyebrow.

Xan shrugged. "I only know what I have heard."

"How did you come to be Mulahey's prisoner?" Jaheira asked.

Xan sighed. "I am a Greycloak of Evereska. My partner and I were sent to investigate the iron crisis. We were to determine who was behind it and whether it posed some greater threat to the region. We were nearly at this place when we were ambushed and… my partner was overcome and fell into the lava." Xan did not sound particularly upset about that, instead it was rather as though it had been an inevitable event that he accepted. "He was the stronger fighter and once my spells were gone I was unable to defend myself sufficiently with only my… did you find my Moonblade?"

His eyes widened and he tried scrambling to his feet in a panic.

"Hey, don't try and get up," Silandra said, satisfied when she was able to keep him down on her own.

"We did find a sword," Garrick said. "I could sense the magic but neither Dynaheir nor I could decipher the enchantments. You're saying it's a real Moonblade?"

Xan seemed to relax a little. "Please, give it to me. It is bound to me and as its wielder I cannot go on much longer without it."

As it was, the sword was only a few feet away, sitting on top of Garrick's pack. The bard handed it over reverently. Silandra looked at it in awe. It was a truly beautiful blade, made out of some kind of silvery metal and set with moonstones that glimmered in the dim light. When Xan took hold of it, he sighed in relief. He murmured a word in Elvish and the sword was suddenly engulfed in blue flame. Garrick flinched, but Silandra didn't think Xan meant them any harm. Rather, he gazed into the flames for a few moments with an odd smile on his face before extinguishing them.

"You are truly a Moonblade wielder?" Garrick asked, recovering quickly and gazing at the sword in awe.

"Yes, unfortunately," Xan replied, sighing again. It seemed that was something he did often. "I will indulge any questions you have but first, I would like to reach the surface."

"That will take days," Jaheira said. "We're going to have to rest here."

"There is a back door nearby," Xan said. "Mulahey used to take it all the time. He talked to himself a lot so I was able to glean information in that way."

There were mixed opinions on what they should do. Most of the group were still injured as Jaheira was unable to heal them all completely, so they were hesitant to go on. But Silandra practically begged to head to the surface, and Ajantis backed her up, probably because he had seen how badly the caves were affecting her. Imoen said she would be in the lead anyway and could alert the others if there was danger, and Dynaheir said she did have one fireball still memorized. Minsc, of course, was itching for a fight, since he had missed out on fighting Mulahey. So they proceeded.

It was a good thing they did. They did encounter a couple of sentient oozes but Minsc killed them easily and moments later, they found the exit. Silandra smiled in relief. Sunlight, finally.


	16. Chapter 16

The sun was not as bright as Silandra would have liked, since it was in the process of setting. What's more, there were quite a few dark clouds in the sky. But she could not complain; it was still a welcome sight after spending the last few days underground. The air was fresh and the sound of birds chirping in the nearby trees added to her elation. Xan sighed, though this time it seemed to be from relief rather than despondence.

The immediate area seemed safe enough but they did not want to camp too close to the mine exit, so instead they moved on a short distance. It was not easy at first to tell where they were in relation to Nashkel, but after some discussion Khalid and Jaheira came to the conclusion that they were about a day's march away.

"Boo says water is this way!" Minsc said, sounding as excited as most of them probably were to clean off the grime from the mines. "We should camp by the stream."

"How far?" Jaheira asked, looking doubtfully in the direction he pointed.

Silandra could not fault her uncertainty, for the area they were in was rocky and lifeless, not the kind of place which was likely to be near water. Still, aside from being dirty, they were all low on water by this point. No one had wanted to dip their waterskin into the underground lakes; even if the water was safe there was no telling what creatures may lurk beneath the surface.

"Close enough!" Minsc said, already beginning to walk. "Come friends!"

Jaheira rubbed her temples and sighed before following, Khalid close behind her. "If we find suitable shelter before the river then that is where we will stay for the night," she said. "We must rest and it looks like it will rain. If our water runs out I can always summon some."

Khalid made a face at that, though luckily for him Jaheira was facing the other way. Silandra took that to mean there was something unpleasant about the water Jaheira summoned and she hoped they could find another opportunity for filling their waterskins.

She glanced at the sky, where the clouds seemed to be gathering rather than dissipating. She hoped the rain could hold off until later that night. She wanted to talk about what they had discovered in the mines and she was interested in learning more about Xan. She knew he was a spellcaster, yet she had never known a mage to wield a sword as he did. Though maybe he would rather just rest. He did look tired, and she knew her companions were too. She herself felt rejuvenated from being outside, but she knew she needed sleep and would likely pass out the moment she lay down.

They had been traveling for only a short time when Khalid and Jaheira stopped by a rocky outcrop and Jaheira announced they would stop for the night.

Silandra sighed in disappointment. She would really have liked to reach this water source Minsc insisted was nearby, but who knew how far it really was? His interpretation of 'close enough' could be vastly difference from everyone else's. She could not deny that this appeared to be a good spot, with the large rocks acting as shelter from the wind.

The rain, however, could not be avoided. Even as they were setting up their tents, a difficult task considering how hard and rocky the ground was in this area, the first drops began to fall. Silandra smiled in thanks when Ajantis came to help her and Imoen with their tent.

She took a few steps away from the camp, raising her face to the rain and rubbing away the blood. It was not as good as a bath and she needed to change her clothes, but that would have to wait.

She noticed someone come up beside her. Expecting Ajantis or maybe Jaheira, come to scold her for standing away from the group, she turned to defend herself. But it was only Xan, who seemed to like her idea and was similarly using the rain to wash himself. As the grime from the dungeons was washed away, she saw that he was one of those rare men she would call beautiful. His hair was dark and long, the leading reason for her being unsure of his gender initially, and his skin was very pale without being sallow. He seemed to sense her looking at him and glanced at her.

"It is no substitute for a warm bath but it will do, for now," he said.

"You must appreciate it even more than I, having been locked up there for over a week," Silandra said.

"You cannot imagine how horrible it was, locked in that filthy cave away from the sun. I was sure I would die there."

"I'm glad we found you." Silandra was curious about the partner he had been sent with. Xan did not seem terribly upset about his death, but she was hesitant to ask about him all the same. Perhaps later, when Xan had recovered from his ordeal.

There was no chance of lighting a campfire. They did not need it to cook, since they were down to dry rations and no one was going to try hunting in this weather. But it would have been nice for warmth as the rain made it chilly.

"I know we need to discuss a few things," Jaheira said, having to raise her voice over the increasing wind and rain, "but I think we should just try to get dry and warm and make an early start in the morning, hopefully in better weather."

Silandra was disappointed, but she knew there was not much point in everyone sitting outside in the rain yelling at each other to make conversation. She headed into her tent with Imoen, pleased to see that it was not leaking as badly as she had expected. She would have liked to sleep under the stars on her first night outside the cave, but this was still much better than that oppressive darkness and she hardly even felt the weariness that had been dragging her down before they left.

She stripped off her wet clothes and put on her cleanest dress, which was only mostly dry as her pack was not completely waterproof. Her spellbook was spared as she had taken to wrapping it in her clothes, and she pulled it out now, thinking she may get a little studying done before sleeping.

"You're really gonna study?" Imoen asked, yawning.

"If I don't fall asleep," said Silandra. "I think I can stay up a little though."

"I'm wiped out." Imoen sprawled on her bedroll with a sigh. "Wonder what it'll be like, walking back into Nashkel as the Heroes of the Mine."

Silandra raised an eyebrow. "The Heroes of the Mine? I'm not sure that has much of a ring to it. The Heroes of Nashkel, maybe?"

"Guess we did kinda save Nashkel. Alright, Heroes of Nashkel. Think we'll get a lot of gold?"

"I know I should say that it's enough to do a good deed, but we _are_ getting a little low."

"Mulahey had some good stuff that we can sell, and a bit of gold," Imoen said. "There was a magic ring but Garrick said it was for divine casters so he gave it to Jaheira."

Silandra had not taken much interest in their haul from the mine. It just made her remember how she had killed Mulahey. She still felt like there was blood on her hands, though they were clean. Imoen was already falling asleep so their conversation was at an end for now. She herself tried focusing on her spells, but that just made her feel her fatigue and she did not make it very far before passing out herself.

* * *

She was back in the mines, though she was sure it could not be real. The tunnels were illuminated by an eerie glow, despite there being no actual light source to be found. The worst part was that she was alone, which made the experience worse. Her feet carried her deeper against her will. She did not see a soul as she passed through the spider cave and crossed over the lava river, which had somehow hardened into black rock. She registered it with only mild interest. It was not her focus.

She entered Mulahey's room. He was apparently the only other living thing in the mine, standing in his room without any sign of his minions. He was unarmed and unarmored and he seemed to be calling to her, begging her to stop. In the waking world she would have balked at slaying anyone in such a state. But her dream self moved of its own accord. She drew her dagger, only the blade she held was not the one Fuller had given her back in Candlekeep, but rather one made of bone. She wanted to examine it more closely, but this was a dream and her will was not her own.

She killed Mulahey just as she had in reality, yet this time he screamed as he died. There was much more blood than before and it quickly began to fill the caves, threatening to drown her. She opened her mouth to scream, but was instead cut off by blood running down her throat.

_Yes. You WILL learn._

* * *

Her coughing and spluttering woke her, and although she had clearly been dreaming and there was not anything actually choking her, it took a few moments to calm herself. Imoen was still fast asleep. The rain had stopped, and the low mumble of voices could be heard outside the tent though it was still dark. Regardless of what time it was, she knew she was done sleeping for the night. Her dream had rattled her and she still felt like she could taste blood. She threw her cloak over her shoulders and peered outside.

Ajantis and Minsc were on watch. Ajantis was apparently doing his best to focus on their surroundings, but Minsc was having a rather animated conversation with Boo, gesturing to Ajantis every now and then as if requesting his input. The two had begun getting along quite well recently, but right now Ajantis looked annoyed. Silandra watched them for a moment, managing a small smile.

There was now a sad-looking fire, perhaps made by Khalid who had taken the first watch with Jaheira. If anyone could get a fire going in wet conditions it was him.

She approached slowly, not wanting to startle the two watchmen, but her efforts were in vain. Ajantis noticed the movement and sprung to his feet, sword ready, causing Boo to squeak in fright and scamper into a crack in Minsc's armor. The berserker glared up at Ajantis accusingly, but the look was quickly replaced by a smile when he saw Silandra.

"Silandra!" Ajantis said. "Forgive me, you… surprised me. There is an hour at least before dawn. Could you not sleep?"

"Bad dreams," Silandra said, not wanting to elaborate. "What were you two talking about?"

"Boo would not sleep, so I was trying to tell him a story," said Minsc. "Unlike Garrick, my stories are not very good, so I wanted Ajantis to help but it turns out _he_ isn't any good at stories either. But surely beautiful Silandra has a story for Boo!"

Ordinarily, Silandra would have been able to come up with something to entertain a hamster, despite storytelling not being one of her strengths. But after her nightmare she was too shaken for that.

"Perhaps another time," she said.

"Are you alright?" Ajantis asked, peering at her closely. "You're trembling."

"Fine," Silandra replied. "Like I said. Bad dreams."

"Here, take a seat," Ajantis said, unclipping his cloak and laying it on the ground. "So you won't get wet."

"Thank you," Silandra said. The gesture was nice, though she would not have thought twice about sitting on the wet dirt in her current state of mind.

"Maybe Boo will make you feel better!" Minsc said, offering the small rodent.

Silandra smiled slightly as she sat and let Boo crawl into her hand. The hamster curled into a ball as if to sleep, apparently not needing a story after all, and she stroked his fur gently.

Ajantis settled down beside her, resuming his watchfulness. Now that Boo was sleeping there was little conversation. Minsc seemed to not want to risk waking his friend, and Ajantis seemed more inclined to focus on their surroundings than speak. It suited Silandra well enough. Just being here, seated between two friends, made her feel slightly better, and by the time morning came the worst memories of the dream had faded to the back of her mind.

They were just finishing packing up the camp when Silandra thought she heard something. It sounded like a woman, pleading for help. Something about the voice made her move quickly without explanation. She was vaguely aware of a few of her companions following her, and she knew they were asking what she was doing. But that was not important. Someone needed her, and that was what mattered right now.

The voice must have been enchanted somehow, for the source was much further than Silandra expected. The ground began to turn grassy and there were a few trees here and there, the beginning of a forest. One in particular drew her eye for it was obviously older than the others, and there was an aura of magic surrounding it. Standing before it was a dryad, and Silandra understood. This tree felt magical because it was. The dryad was attached to it; it was her home and also her source of life. Without it, she would die. And the two men standing before her looked like they did not care. They both held axes, the kind made for chopping down trees rather than for battle.

The dryad was lovely, even by Silandra's standards. Her skin was very nearly the same color as the bark of her tree, though it appeared much smoother. Her hair was a mossy green, tangled with flowers and twigs, and her clothing was almost non-existent—a few strategically placed leaves and vines.

Silandra turned her attention to the men. They were clad in thin leather jerkins and looked more like simple woodsmen than warriors, though they both had short swords hanging from their belts.

The dryad seemed to sense Silandra and her friends approaching and spared them a quick glance before returning her attention to the men.

"I am glad you heard me," she said. "Please help if you can. These two would defile my tree. They have avoided my charms and must be stopped."

Silandra felt oddly defensive of this dryad. It was true that dryads were closely related to nymphs, so that could be part of it. She knew they were usually harmless unless provoked, and that, like her, they had the ability to charm others, though they could also control nature to some extent. She probed the minds of the men standing before the dryad. Curiously, she saw that the dryad was right—they could not be charmed, for their minds were too disordered. They were probably mentally impaired in some way. Ordinarily, Silandra might be understanding and go easy on such men, but right now she was prepared to kill them if they made one move towards harming this dryad.

"We will protect you and your tree," Silandra said, glancing at her companions.

Ajantis, Imoen and Garrick had followed her, and she could see the others approaching from a distance. Ajantis was focused on the men, but Imoen and Garrick wore similar expressions of stunned awe as they gazed upon the dryad. Hopefully they would come to their senses and fight if it proved necessary.

"You two," Silandra said, addressing the men. "You will return whence you came. This tree is protected."

"We think dis here's a magic tree, 'cuz it's so big and pretty," said the axe-wielder slowly. "Probably full of treasure! We're gonna bust it down and see. Wanna help?"

It was as if he had not listened to a word she said. She tried again. "There is no treasure in this tree. Leave. Now."

"Youse just want the treasure fer yerselves!" the man said, raising his voice.

"I'm saying there is no treasure, and no one will be cutting down this tree today," Silandra said firmly. Almost unbidden, she felt a magic missile building inside her, but she held it for the moment.

"We _will_ take treasure! Krumm, get 'em!"

The other man just stared at the first dumbly for a moment, before raising his axe and charging. Silandra was ready and released her magic missiles. She had never been able to release two at once before, and she wondered if it were due to the sudden rage she felt within her or simply from all her practice. The man fell, and she rounded on his companion, launching another pair of missiles at him. Ajantis was by her side, ready to defend her, but it was not necessary. The men were both on the ground, either dead or too badly injured to rise.

Jaheira and the others caught up with them at that point, but there was nothing else to be done. Jaheira seemed to realize what had happened and offered a nod of approval. Minsc looked disappointed, probably at having missed another fight.

"Thank you for your aid, sister," the dryad said, smiling as she approached Silandra, though eyeing Ajantis with caution. "You are welcome within my forest. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Do you happen to know anything about bandits passing through the area?" Silandra asked.

"The birds have been telling me about them, but they passed further north, thankfully," the dryad said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "If that is all you request, then let me give you something more powerful in addition."

Unexpectedly, Silandra felt the dryad embrace her, letting her know that her skin was indeed much smoother than tree bark. She could feel that this was not an ordinary hug; magic coursed through her, the same natural kind that she used when charming. She was not sure what it could mean but it felt good and she closed her eyes and smiled.

The dryad looked a little surprised as she pulled away.

"I wish you luck on your journey, sister," she said, suddenly serious. "But be wary… there is a shadow over you."

"What do you mean?" Silandra asked.

But the dryad was already retreating, her form fading to foliage until it could no longer be seen. She had likely retreated into her tree and if she did not want to emerge then there was no way to make her.

Silandra felt a little uneasy now about how quickly she had attacked the men and wondered if they were dead. What they had been trying to do was evil, but were they even capable of understanding that? She approached, intending to see if they still lived, but their bodies were wrapped in vines and pulled into the ground before she could get close.

"What was that?" Ajantis asked. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Silandra said. "I feel… good. But those men…"

"Defilers of nature. They will only get what they deserve," Jaheira said. "It would seem she blessed you. That is uncommon, but perhaps not so surprising considering your heritage."

"What could she mean though?" Silandra asked, frowning. "What shadow?"

"I do not know, but it is not something we can stop to think about," Jaheira said. "We are already off course but at least we have found the water. Let us clean up quickly and move on."

Silandra had not noticed initially, but now she realized she could hear the soft trickle of a nearby stream. Through the gradually thickening bushes and trees she and her companions walked until they found it. It ran too quickly to safely bathe in, at least for someone like Silandra who could not swim, and besides, Jaheira was impatient to move. Still, it felt good to wash her face with the clear water, and she filled her water skin too.

They headed back the way they had come, soon reaching the place where they had left the mine. Silandra did not like to look at that dark tunnel, as it brought back memories of her time underground. She never wanted to experience that again and she never would if she had anything to say about it.

It was apparently too much to ask that they be allowed to proceed to Nashkel safely. They did not get very far before they were accosted by a group of warrior women.

"You there, is your name Silandra?"

Silandra sighed. By the tone of the woman's voice, she could tell they were likely in for a fight. At least her group was well-rested and healed by now. Well, most of them. She herself was a little tired.

"What do you want?" she asked wearily.

"It _is_ you," the woman said, peering at Silandra more closely. "My companions and I have tracked you for many days and I am to give you a message. Your interference ends now. You and your little friends are to die."

"Interference?" Silandra repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't you tell me what exactly we're interfering in?"

She knew the woman was not likely to answer of her own free will, so she tried charming her. However, there was something that pressed back, some kind of magical barrier.

"Hah!" the woman cried. "We did our research. Made sure you would not be able to sway us with your charms. We will tell you nothing, and you will die knowing that your efforts were futile."

There was no more warning, but the conversation had gone on long enough that Silandra's companions were ready. Jaheira caused vines to sprout from the ground, rooting most of the women in place. One was nimble enough to avoid the tendrils but Minsc was upon her quickly, yelling for Boo to go for the eyes. Silandra had never seen the rodent actually do so, but as a war cry she supposed it was effective enough.

She herself had been readying an armor spell, one of the newer ones she had been trying to learn. Some of the women in the back were armed with throwing daggers and bows so their attacks were not hindered by the vines, and Silandra wanted to make herself a difficult target for them. Ajantis could not catch every projectile with his shield, after all, no matter how hard he tried.

Xan finished casting a spell, and a shower of what appeared to be sparkling dust floated over the women. Silandra was initially confused, until she saw that it had apparently blinded the archers; the women ceased their attacks and rubbed at their eyes though that did nothing to dislodge the magical dust. Effective, but not lethal. Silandra was beginning to feel like _that_ was the kind of magic she would rather focus on.

The fight went easily after that; one of the women was a priestess but she was unable to get off a spell under Imoen and Garrick's onslaught of missiles.

"More bounty hunters?" Silandra asked when it was over.

"They have some nice gear," Imoen said as she unceremoniously went through the women's belongings. "But I don't see a notice."

"'More' bounty hunters?" Xan echoed.

"Someone wants me dead, and I don't know why," Silandra said. "I know you have not agreed to travel with us past Nashkel, and although we would welcome your company, it is only fair you know this. It is probably dangerous to travel with me."

"If you are tracking down the root of this iron crisis then my mission dictates that I join you," Xan said. "Surely my odds of dying are slightly lower in your company than on my own, regardless of bounties."

"The woman was speaking of 'interference'," Jaheira said, frowning. "This may have been something different. Is it possible that Mulahey's superior already knows about his death?"

"I believe so," Dynaheir said. "Mayhap a magical connection exists. It is difficult to maintain such over long distances, and I wouldst think the alchemist may be responsible, if he is in Beregost."

"Do you think he's going to know we killed his assassins?" Silandra asked.

"I cannot say for certain," Dynaheir said. "This is… a higher form of magic than I am familiar with."

"Such magical links are difficult to maintain," said Xan. "I do not think it likely that a mage would form one with all of his assassins."

"I just hope he doesn't take off before we can reach him," said Silandra. "He's the only real lead we have, unless we can find someone who knows where this Tazok can be found."

"We will make haste," said Jaheira. "We can be in Beregost within a few days if we move quickly."

Their way out of the mine had left them far enough from Nashkel that they could not reach the town that day. They made camp a half-day's march from Nashkel. Although Silandra was eager to track down the perpetrators of the iron crisis, she was enjoying the time spent outside. There was no sign of rain today and she breathed in the night air happily.

She noticed Xan settling down to study his spellbook for the night. To his great relief, it had been stowed amongst the other items in Mulahey's chest. Losing it would likely have been nearly as devastating as losing his Moonblade. She approached him rather shyly. She was not used to elves, especially when they were so beautiful.

"If you don't mind, Xan, I was wondering if you might be able to teach me that spell you cast earlier," she said. "The one with the… the sparkles."

Thankfully, Xan did not seem annoyed by the interruption. He began flipping through the pages of his spellbook. Silandra tried not to look too hard, since a mage's spellbook was often considered private, but she thought she caught a few glimpses of powerful enchantments and her interest was piqued even more.

"It is a simple spell," Xan said, "and rather appropriately named: Glitterdust. I will write it down for you."

Silandra bit her lip, knowing that she would now have to disclose her nature. Some mages looked down on sorcerers, though Dynaheir had been very understanding about it, so why was she so nervous about telling Xan?

"I am a sorceress," she said. "I cannot learn spells like you. Even if you write it down I need a little more help, most of the time."

"I see," said Xan, already laying out a blank sheet of parchment to scribe the spell. "I would guess that your heritage is fey?"

That was surprising, at least to Silandra. Most people thought upon meeting her that she was a half-elf. "My mother was a nymph," she said. "How did you know?"

"My specialty is enchantment magic. I noticed you trying to charm those women before, without saying a word. And, as I am sure you know, you are too beautiful _not_ to have fey blood."

Silandra felt herself blush lightly, though that was silly. She was used to hearing of her beauty, and Xan himself was completely composed.

"I would really like to learn more enchantments," she managed to say. "I may not need a spell to charm people but maybe learning how mages usually cast it will improve my ability."

"I believe it will," said Xan. "I will be happy to teach you. Though perhaps for now you should speak with Jaheira. I think she wants to discuss something with you."

Silandra glanced at the druid, who was sitting a few paces away from the others, and sighed when she saw the look on her face. What had she done now?

"Later, then," she said. "Thank you."

She moved to sit by Jaheira, noticing that Ajantis was looking at her oddly too. She would not put it past him to be upset at what she had done to those two men, though surely that was not what Jaheira was concerned about. She had seemed to approve.

"What is it?" she asked Jaheira.

"Back in Mulahey's cave, I noticed something odd when I healed Ajantis," Jaheira said. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Maybe Silandra should have known better than to expect a skilled healer not to notice the small way she had lessened the severity of Ajantis' wound. Although she did not always get along with Jaheira, she trusted her because Gorion had. Surely her secret would be safe with her.

"I have this… healing ability," she said. "I did not always have it, or at least I don't think I did. I healed myself in the mine on the first day when an arrow grazed me, and Ajantis saw but I swore him to secrecy. After that fight with Mulahey I was so scared he would die. His wound was bad and you could not attend to him right away, so I just… tried to help."

"I see. Something about the wound did not add up, and Ajantis is terrible at hiding things."

"He told you?" Silandra felt a little hurt at the thought.

"No, but it obviously involved you. Now, how does it feel when you perform this healing?"

"I don't know. Different. Warm."

"It is not similar to your charming ability?"

"No. It's not like that, or like my regular magic."

"I would almost like to put this down to your nymph heritage, as some are able to heal. But perhaps it is something else."

"Ajantis thinks I was blessed by a god for some reason."

"He would, and perhaps he is right. This can be kept secret for now, but I want you to tell me if you notice any new developments in this area."

Silandra had to assure her she would before she was free to join the others by the fire. She remained quiet, going over her spells and making only minimal contributions to the conversation. Being able to heal was not a bad thing, she told herself. It just troubled her that she did not know _why_.


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: I'm sorry this took a while longer than usual. I'm currently doing NaNoWriMo and my next update will probably be late too. But after the month is done I expect to be back to a rough once a week schedule._

* * *

Before they reached Nashkel, they found the carnival. Silandra vaguely remembered hearing about it while in town, but at the time there had been other things on her mind. Once a year, merchants and entertainers from all over spent a few weeks or so in the area. It was said that you could find exotic goods that would usually be difficult to obtain, and the entertainment was supposed to be good too.

Truth be told, she was a little disappointed once she actually saw the carnival. There were many colorful tents and a few food stalls that looked interesting, but very few people. Not quite the lively event she was expecting. It could probably be put down to the troubles in the mine and the dangers of traveling lately. Still, Silandra would be glad to spend a little time doing something that did not involve fighting or traveling.

Since it was already early afternoon, they were planning on staying in Nashkel for the night anyway, so it was not too difficult to get Jaheira to let them spend some time at the carnival.

"Khalid and I will return to Nashkel directly," Jaheira said. "The mayor should be given the news about the mine as soon as possible and we are awaiting a message from a contact of ours. You should return to the inn before dark. Stay out of trouble. And don't spend too much money. I expect a generous sum from the mayor but we have expenses and we don't know when we will be paid again."

"Of course," Silandra said. It was very tempting to add 'mother' on the end. Although she had never known hers, she had read enough to know that Jaheira was definitely acting the role. And Silandra was not sure she liked it.

"We'll see if we can get some gold for some of the gems and stuff we've collected," Imoen said. "I don't think that shopkeeper in Nashkel could afford it all but maybe someone here can."

"Just make sure you get a fair price," Jaheira said. "Many of these merchants will be experts at haggling."

"Don't worry; so am I," Garrick said proudly.

Silandra suddenly had the thought that maybe she could find something interesting to buy here. They may not have a _lot_ of money but now that they had cleared the mine, surely she could afford something small for herself. Like a _mirror_. She did not follow Imoen and Garrick. Selling goods wasn't something everyone needed to be there for, and she kind of thought they might prefer to be alone for a while.

Dynaheir and Xan were caught up in a conversation about some complicated magic principles that was too advanced for Silandra to follow and Minsc was contentedly speaking with Boo, pointing out things that he thought the hamster may find interesting. That left Silandra and Ajantis to walk side by side at the front of their group.

"Is there anything in particular you want to look at?" Ajantis asked.

"Well, I don't think I should spend too much, but I would really like a mirror," Silandra said. "And maybe some new clothes."

"You don't want to get some food first?"

Silandra realized Ajantis himself was probably hungry. After all, their dry rations were not particularly appetizing and barely did their job in staving off hunger. Ajantis probably weighed twice what she did yet ate the same share. He was probably dying for a proper meal and might not want to wait until they reached Nashkel that evening.

"Of course," she said quickly. "Why don't you choose something?"

He brightened considerably at that, and only looked around for a few moments before leading her to a stall where a man was serving some kind of hot sandwich. It was not the usual fare in the inns in the area; the bread looked dark but different from the coarse loaves peasants made, and the meat was in some kind of brown sauce that smelled delicious in a foreign kind of way. She had not thought she was particularly hungry, but suddenly she felt she could eat all this and more.

"Would this be suitable?" Ajantis asked.

"Of course," Silandra said, feeling her mouth water in a most unladylike fashion.

She did not protest when he insisted on buying her meal as well as his own. It was really all just party treasure, after all. Or was it? Ajantis was from a noble family. Surely he had taken a decent sum of gold with him upon leaving home. But it did not seem appropriate to ask.

Minsc was behind them, eagerly ordering three sandwiches for himself. Neither Dynaheir nor Xan seemed particularly interested in the food. Xan glanced at it briefly, but that was it. Maybe elves had different tastes, and maybe Minsc was going to share with Dynaheir.

"This is good!" Silandra said, pleasantly surprised. The food had looked and smelled appetizing enough but the unusual spices had still made her a little wary.

"I knew it would be hard to go wrong with meat and bread," Ajantis said. "It's nice to have something a little different too. I make a point of going for foreign food if I see it."

"I guess I'm just so used to eating the same kinds of things," Silandra said. "After all, it's not like I've really had much of a chance for something different since leaving Candlekeep."

"There are all kinds of interesting things out there," said Ajantis. "Most regions have their own cheese, their own bread, and of course their own drinks. What about chocolate, have you had that?"

"Only a little," Silandra said. "We did not get it very often. Winthrop, the innkeeper, he always said it was too expensive."

"I guess it depends where you are," said Ajantis. "My family used to have it pretty regularly because my mother liked it. But then… I suppose we could afford it anyway."

He said the last part quietly, as if he wished he hadn't. Silandra wondered if he was embarrassed for some reason to come from a wealthy family. Then she thought of Imoen, and of what she had overheard some of the girls in the bar saying. Many of them would talk about marrying a rich man who would make all their problems go away. Silandra was definitely not in the market for a husband right now, but she supposed she knew by now that Ajantis liked her, and maybe he was worried she would now only want him for his gold.

Truth be told, money had never mattered too much to her. She liked the things it could buy, but she never saw the point in having more than could be used on living expenses and a few nice dresses. She had read that most fae creatures did not care for gold either, so she supposed she had inherited a bit of that. And even if she _did_ want to be rich, she could not imagine marrying someone solely for that purpose.

She didn't think she could just tell him that she wasn't interested in his money, however. Then she wondered if she was really admitting to herself that he was interested in _him_. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she couldn't think of anything intelligent to say, but they were still finishing their food anyway so perhaps it didn't matter.

Thankfully, she noticed a merchant selling a few interesting knick knacks including _mirrors_, and practically dragged Ajantis over to have a look. She spent more time than she probably should have just looking at herself in the mirrors, on the pretense of examining the different frames. She was relieved to see that, despite her hair being a little messy (which she fixed immediately), she looked fine. She did think she had lost weight though, probably due to all the walking she had been doing. She thought she might be too skinny now and decided she had better try to eat more. The prices were not too exorbitant, and she was able to talk down the merchant from his original number without charming him. She happily walked away with a rather plain mirror trimmed in fake gold, but the decoration was not what mattered.

The group wandered around for a while longer, and were especially interested in the magical wares of a jewelry vendor, but his prices were far too high. It was too bad; there was a necklace that shot fireballs which Silandra thought would be particularly useful. It didn't hurt that it was beautiful too.

"Ooo, potions!" Minsc said loudly, causing Silandra and her companions (and a few commoners) to look at him.

He was pointing at a lavishly decorated tent in shades of pink and purple, which Silandra probably would have noticed herself had she not still been thinking about the fireball necklace and the other interesting magical items that she could not afford. Out the front was a sign advertising potions for sale. They were probably expensive, but having a few potions on hand could mean the different between living and dying.

Minsc led the way inside the tent, with Silandra and Ajantis following and Xan and Dynaheir bringing up the rear.

Silandra was sure the tent was bigger on the inside, but she had read about such charms so that did not surprise her so much. What did was the confrontation she and her friends had evidently just interrupted.

A gray-haired mage in a deep green and gold robe whirled to face the intruders, his face red from anger.

"Stay back!" he cried. "If any of you come closer I'll kill her. All I have to do is say the last word of my spell and she'll die."

Backed against the opposite side of the tent was a woman, likely also a mage by the look of her. She did not appear to be in any state to cast spells just now though. She looked terrified and she made eye contact with Silandra as if pleading for help.

Privately, Silandra thought the man was bluffing. Spells did not usually work once they had been interrupted; the flow was lost and you could not just add on the last few syllables and expect it to work. Then again, maybe this man was so powerful he could achieve such a thing. Somehow, though, she doubted it. She just didn't feel enough magic emanating from him.

"What's this all about?" she asked, hoping she could calm him down. She was wary about trying to charm a potentially powerful mage, but she'd try if she thought it necessary.

"She's a witch," the man said. "She'll use her magic to poison the children of this town. She'll butcher the livestock and seduce the young men. She must be killed!"

Silandra raised an eyebrow, hardly able to believe his hypocrisy. She herself was probably a witch according to him, though maybe she didn't really look the part, not having fancy magical robes. Silandra felt her anger rising. Here she and her companions were, trying to have a nice relaxing afternoon, and then a psycho like this guy had to ruin it. Before she could say anything else, however, Dynaheir came up beside her, evidently as furious as she was.

"What art thou talking about?" she asked, her voice rising. "Why the prejudice against a magic user? Thou said it thyself. Thou art a mage. After all, art thou not about to kill her with thy 'magic word'? Thou hast a plentiful lack of wit."

"Are you mocking me?!" the man yelled, his face nearly turning purple with rage. "No one mocks the great Zordral. You will pay for your insolence!"

Well, at least he did not seem in a hurry to finish the spell which would supposedly kill the other mage. Instead, he was intent on destroying Silandra and her friends. In a flash, he was coated in a stone skin and his image was mirrored several times; a contingency or spell trigger. She had studied those a little but they were far too advanced for her.

Ajantis and Minsc were already attacking the man even as he began casting another spell, one which Silandra did not recognize. Xan was quick with a dispel, but it did not take all the protections away, and Dynaheir apparently had not memorized any dispels herself. Ajantis and Minsc could not seem to harm the man, as most of their blows did not land and the ones that did only chipped away at the stone skin. Thankfully, the other mage in the room pulled herself together enough to cast a powerful dispel of her own. But it was too late. The man finished his spell and suddenly, Minsc, Ajantis and Dynaheir ran from the tent, terrified. Silandra felt the fear spell hit her but it only made her a little uneasy, and Xan and the 'witch' appeared unaffected. She wasn't sure whether it was luck or part of her innate resistance to certain mind-altering spells. Whatever it was, she was thankful. With his protections gone, the man was now vulnerable, and surely she, Xan and the other mage would be able to take him down.

Xan cast Glitterdust and she cast a magic missile. The mage had just begun another spell, but now he grabbed at his eyes, trying to rid them of the shimmering dust. Silandra was feeling sure of their victory with her own spell, but even though her missiles hit him squarely in the chest they did not seem to hurt him very much. His robes were evidently enchanted and were only slightly singed where the missiles had hit. Xan sighed and drew his Moonblade.

"The bloody way it is, then," he said flatly.

Silandra stepped back so as not to be in the way, and the woman let lose the acid arrow she had been casting before moving herself. Like the magic missiles, the magical arrow did not do much to harm the man either. He did look slightly distressed when he saw Xan advancing on him with a fiery blue sword, however.

Zordral picked up a staff that had been leaning against the wall, but his vision was still impaired from the Glitterdust and he was only able to attempt a few clumsy strikes before Xan chopped through it like it was nothing. The evil mage began another spell even as he tried to dodge the elf's blows but it was in vain. His magical robes evidently did little to protect against Moonblades and he was soon dead. Interestingly, and perhaps morbidly, Silandra noticed that the blade cauterized the wounds as it cut. She supposed fire would do that, but she hadn't expected it. For now though, there were more important things to think about.

"I'll look for the others and remove the fear spell if necessary," Xan said. "I trust you can look after things here."

"Of course," Silandra said, feeling pleased. _Jaheira_ would probably never have trusted her alone here.

She turned to face the woman, who was looking immensely relieved now that Zordral was no longer a threat.

"Thank you," she said. "Zordral was an old enemy of mine and I do believe you saved my life. My name is Bentha. Is there any way I can repay you?"

Silandra wanted to say that a good deed done was enough for her, but she remembered her group. She felt responsible for them in a way, and this _had _been a dangerous encounter. Without Xan, maybe they all would have died. She certainly did not think she could have taken Zordral on herself, even with Bentha's help, not when he was so resistant to magic.

"We were actually planning on buying some healing potions," she said.

"Oh, adventurers are you?" Bentha asked. She seemed to be recovering from her near-death experience well enough, already rummaging through the cupboards behind the counter. "I should have expected as much from the look of you, but I was rather distracted, as you may have guessed. Here, take these."

Silandra was a little awed when Bentha handed her not one but three healing potions, easily identifiable by the blue bottle and label. Such things were not cheap, and she wondered whether she should protest.

"Please, I would not feel right charging you anything," said Bentha, as if sensing her thoughts. "My life is worth more, truly."

"Thank you," Silandra said. "We really appreciate it. I had better go now and check on the others."

Bentha bid her farewell, thanking her again, and Silandra left the tent, packing the potions away carefully. She found her friends easily enough. There were more people around now that the sun was beginning to set, but Minsc tended to stand out in any crowd.

She headed over to her friends, glad to see that they had all recovered from the fear spell. Minsc looked on the verge of tears, though Ajantis was more frustrated than anything.

"Silandra, are you alright?" he asked as she approached.

"I'm fine," Silandra said. "Bentha gave us _three_ healing potions for saving her."

"That was very generous of her," said Ajantis. "But we did not _all_ save her. I am so very sorry that I failed you."

"I am sorry too," Minsc said, hiccupping while Dynaheir stoked his back soothingly. "Boo won't even show his face, yet _I_ have nowhere to hide."

"It's alright," Silandra said. "You were caught by a spell; there's nothing to be ashamed of. And besides, it turned out fine."

"I do believe it is time we headed back to Nashkel," Xan said, looking at the darkening sky. "I for one have had my fill of this carnival, and Khalid and Jaheira are waiting."

"We should find Imoen and Garrick first," Silandra said. After what she and her friends had just experienced, she was worried about the others. "Hopefully they didn't get into any trouble."

* * *

Imoen was over the moon. She had Garrick all to herself and he was holding her hand. There were all kinds of interesting things to eat here and most were cheap. She had eaten a candy apple, popcorn and some kind of delicious fried meat on a stick. Now they were walking it off, selling a few of the items they had picked up on their travels and buying a few things themselves. Garrick needed new strings for his lute, and Imoen got a much nicer and more spacious belt to hold her collection of thieving tools, which she also added to. She may have considered looking for some better armor—specifically, more _comfortable_ armor—but she was now wearing an enchanted leather tunic from one of the last group of assassins and she thought it would serve her well. There was something a little icky about wearing something she had taken from a dead person, but the armor was in good condition and would offer much better protection than her previous leathers. What's more, it looked nice too. The studs were a bright silver and the leather itself gleamed.

It was going to be dark soon and she knew they would have to find the others and head back to town before long, but she wanted to enjoy this for as long as she could. After all, there was no telling when there would be another opportunity like this.

Many of the vendors were hawking their wares loudly in front of their stalls, but Imoen's attention was drawn by a halfling who was standing a few paces away from an eerily lifelike stone statue.

"Come one, come all!" he cried. "Take a look at the stone warrior maiden! Who is she, how long has she been trapped? And what might she give as a reward to her captors? For the mere price of 500 gold, I'll give you this scroll and _you_ can find out!"

Imoen frowned. If the statue really was a trapped person then it wasn't right for this man to be selling the means to free her instead of just using it. Garrick seemed oblivious, being more focused on the stalls selling magic items, but she nudged him to get his attention.

"Listen to him!" she said. "We have to get that scroll and free her—if it's even real."

Of course, that was the other possibility. The whole thing could just be a scam.

"I don't think Jaheira would approve of us spending 500 gold on a scroll," Garrick said.

Imoen rolled her eyes. Garrick did not quite have the rebellious streak she did. "We're not going to buy it. I've got a plan."

There were a few stalls serving alcohol, though Imoen was willing to wait for that until they got to Nashkel. But many of the people wandering around the carnival were, at the very least, a little tipsy, so she and Garrick would not stand out too much.

They walked arm-in-arm, swaying a little, trying not to pay too much direct attention to the halfling. Not until they stumbled right into him, that is. Imoen purposely fell on top of him.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried, widening her eyes in pretend shock. She made sure to slur her words a little as she continued. "I guess I might've had a little too much."

She was quick to slip the scroll away from the halfling and into Garrick's waiting hands, but she knew that a scam artist like this might notice sooner rather than later so she lingered a few moments more to distract him. She gave him her best attempt at a flirtatious smile.

Thankfully, he was bashful rather than angry.

"Oh, it's no problem at all miss," he responded.

Imoen thought he was actually blushing. Well, she may not be as pretty as Silandra, but she was much better at flirting. She heard Garrick reading the scroll, and smiled down at the halfling as he worked out what was happening. He began to sputter in protest, but she was bigger than him and it wasn't too difficult to keep him down. As she had expected, he was not much of a fighter.

Imoen finally stood when Garrick finished speaking and looked at the statue, hoping the scroll was for real.

Before their very eyes, the stone statue morphed into a live woman. She was tall, blonde, and very confused. She blinked a few moments and looked around.

"Where is that dog?" she cried. She cast a quick spell which caused a magical blue hammer to appear in her hand and continued to scan her surroundings.

The halfling gave a girlish scream of terror before running off. Well, that made things easier. Imoen had not had a good plan for dealing with him after freeing the woman.

"Um, hi," said Imoen. "I'm Imoen and this is Garrick. We just freed you. Who're you lookin' for?"

The woman relaxed just a little. She finally seemed to notice the people standing before her.

"I was… I was frozen in stone, wasn't I?" she asked slowly. "It was strange, almost like a dream. Tranzig is long gone then?"

"That name sounds familiar," Garrick said.

"That's the guy we're looking for in Beregost," Imoen said. "He's the one who did this to you?"

"I had only just met him and did not realize what kind of work he wanted me to do until after I had agreed," the women shook her head, obviously annoyed with herself. "He turned me to stone rather than fight me, the cowardly dog."

"You can come with us!" Imoen said. "I'm sure it'll be fine. We can always use the help and we're after Tranzig for our own reasons."

"It would be good to travel with likeminded people," the woman said. "It has been too long. I hope you can understand my hesitance to sign another contract though."

"Of course!" Imoen said quickly. "No contracts with us."

"Then I would be pleased to join you," the woman said. "I'm sorry; I failed to introduce myself. I am Branwen, a warrior priest from the Norheim Isles. I would be glad to see this Tranzig brought to justice."

Imoen had a feeling Branwen's idea of 'justice' meant 'death', but hopefully she could be convinced to at least wait until Sil had interrogated him. She was feeling pretty good about finding a new addition to the group, especially a priest. Jaheira's abilities had obviously been stretched thin in the mine and Branwen would make the group much safer.

Imoen spotted Silandra and the others from a distance. She could tell just by looking at them that something had happened, but at least they all appeared to be uninjured. She and Garrick led Branwen over to them, excited to introduce her.


	18. Chapter 18

Edwin was getting impatient. He had been in this tiny town for days, only leaving briefly to track down some woman that Dorn wanted to kill. There was no chance of finding the witch Dynaheir either, since they had gleaned from the townsfolk that she had gone to the mine with the nymph and her companions. So there was nothing to do but wait.

What's more, the guards were keeping an eye on him and his ill-conceived group. When the captain heard they were looking for the nymph he immediately became suspicious, accusing them of being assassins. If it were not for the fact that Montaron and Xzar knew the mayor, things could have gone very badly for the group. The mayor himself was not particularly happy with them, since the pair were supposed to have been investigating the mines. He was only mildly mollified by the fact that someone else was taking care of it.

Xzar, Montaron and Kagain seemed content to sit around in the inn all day, sometimes heading to the Belching Dragon Tavern for a change of scenery. At least Dorn shared Edwin's impatience. His own quest for vengeance had been put on hold, for his next clue led to Baldur's Gate and according to the guards, the city was closed until further notice. Something to do with the bandit attacks, apparently.

If it were not so important that Edwin find the witch, he would gladly leave. But his superiors would not accept failure. He had to complete his mission or die trying. Initially he had thought it a simple task. Now that the witch had fallen in with a whole group of adventurers, he would have to think up something more intricate.

He had visited the carnival briefly, thinking that spending some time outside the town may improve his mood. It was, however, a rather dismal event. The 'entertainment' consisted mostly of poets and they were not very good. There _was_ a rather interesting exploding ogre. It was a spell of course; ogres did not just explode and then reappear intact to repeat the trick. Edwin thought if he could just see it enough times, he could work it out. But the ogre had become angry and he had no choice but to destroy him. It was a pity. After that, there was nothing of interest at the carnival. In Thay, there would have at least been a gladiator pit.

Edwin was currently sitting at a table in the darkest corner of the Nashkel inn with only the blackguard for company. The others were off at the tavern. He didn't mind; Dorn was not very talkative but he was better company than the mad wizard. The usual rabble were sitting around them, keeping their distance. Edwin was unsure if they were more afraid of him or Dorn but he didn't care, so long as they did not bother him.

Today there was a new patron who looked interesting. Some kind of rogue, most likely, dressed in black and green with a belt of throwing daggers. He was in the second darkest corner, sipping his drink slowly and surreptitiously watching the door. He was definitely waiting for someone, but who?

Edwin was contemplating another glass of wine when a half-elf couple entered the inn. He was surprised when the druid's eyes fell upon him and she began to stalk over to his table, looking highly displeased.

"Edwin, I take it?" she said, glaring at him.

Edwin resisted the urge to roll his eyes, already sure this would not be a pleasant conversation. "I assume you have heard of my greatness?"

The woman scowled and the man at her side looked from her to Edwin worriedly. He did not miss Dorn hulking in the shadows either.

"I have heard you are looking for Silandra," the woman said. "If we were to search you, would we find a bounty notice?"

"Of course not, and I would like to see you try."

"There is also the matter of Dynaheir. We _know_ you tried to kill her. Give me one good reason why we should not have you arrested as assassins right now."

"I only wanted to inter… to _talk_ to her," Edwin said, not quite as smoothly as he wanted. "She is very dangerous and I suggest you keep an eye on her."

"Please, do tell me why she is so dangerous."

"That is what I need to determine."

"I doubt a Red Wizard would be a fair judge. I suggest you take your companions and leave before the others return."

"Or what? You think you two are a match for me?" He did not mention Dorn lurking beside him, but he was sure the blackguard's presence spoke for itself.

"We will not insult the innkeeper by fighting in here," the woman said, clearly unperturbed. "We will, however, be keeping an eye on you, and we _will_ defend ourselves if you attack any member of our group."

With that, she spun on her heel and headed towards the bar where the innkeeper had been watching the exchange anxiously. The male accompanying her, who had remained silent all this time, eyed Edwin and Dorn nervously before following her.

"The others should know the nymph will be here soon," said Dorn. He did not speak often, and although Edwin had tried to dismiss him as an uncultured brute at first, he had since been forced to admit that the half-orc wasn't a complete idiot.

"I'll tell them," said Edwin. "I could do with a walk anyway."

Of course, he would rather just sit at the table, but he found the blackguard rather intimidating and wasn't about to suggest _he_ go to the tavern. He would never admit this of course. Much better to pretend that he _wanted_ some fresh air, that he _wanted_ to visit the cesspit that was the Belching Dragon.

As he walked, he kept an eye out for the nymph and the rest of her group. From what the half-elf woman had said, it sounded like they were nearby and he did not particularly want to encounter them alone. But he didn't come across anyone else of note. The monk who had been putting on ridiculous martial arts displays outside the inn since Edwin and his companions arrived was still there. Edwin wondered how long he planned on keeping it up and what his purpose was, though he was not curious enough to bother engaging the man in conversation. For all he knew, he was touched in the head.

The guards watched him suspiciously as he walked, but he was used to that. He ignored them and continued on his way to the tavern.

He quickly realized that his less civilized companions were intoxicated despite it not even being dark outside. He cringed inwardly, not looking forward to this conversation.

"I think I met your Harper friends," he said by way of greeting.

"They're _not_ our friends," Montaron growled.

Edwin rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. They were in the inn, alone. It sounds like the rest of their group will be along shortly."

"They see ye?" Montaron asked.

"Yes, unfortunately," Edwin said. "The woman yammered for a while, but I made it clear we are not just going to leave. We should, however, be together when the others arrive. And you three should sober up."

Kagain laughed at that, a rather horrible guttural sound. Edwin was glad he only seemed to do so when drunk, or he may have had to kill him before now.

"Or don't, see if I care," Edwin went on. "Just get back to the inn."

He turned and left, not wanting to stay there any longer than necessary. Nothing in this town was particularly refined, but the tavern seemed to be where all the lowlifes congregated.

He was glad to see the nymph had not yet arrived by the time he returned to the inn. He wanted to make sure he was there to watch her enter. The half elves had chosen a table on the other side of the room. They were sitting opposite one another so that between them, they had a view of the front door, the stairs and the kitchens, and they had evidently not missed his return. Edwin surmised that Xzar and Montaron were right, they were probably Harpers or something. Not the type he really wanted to be crossing, especially when they had allies. Perhaps he would have to change his plans.

* * *

Silandra was glad to finally see the town of Nashkel coming into view. The carnival had been fun—well, except for the part where she and her friends had to kill an evil mage—but she was looking forward to a warm meal and proper bed. She knew it would only be for one night, but she would enjoy such luxuries when she could get them.

She was looking forward to introducing Branwen to Khalid and Jaheira. She knew she herself could not take the credit for finding another healer, but she felt Jaheira had not thought anything good would come from the group remaining at the carnival and this was proof that it had.

Branwen herself was eager to get to the inn and drink to celebrate her second chance at life, as she called it.

Before they got there, however, they were stopped by Bardolan and a few of his men on patrol.

"Silandra!" he said, his weathered face breaking into a grin. "I'm glad to see you emerge safely from the mine. I hear you were successful."

"Yes, though I could not have done it alone," Silandra said, smiling back. "Oh, before I forget. Imoen, do you still have that ring?"

Imoen rummaged in one of her belt pouches for a moment and came up with the greenstone ring they had found in the depths of the mine.

"We found this," said Silandra. "I'm afraid the owner is dead. But it's so distinctive, I thought perhaps someone here may recognize it."

Bardolan's eyes betrayed his recognition the moment he saw the ring, but he still spent a moment examining it closely.

"This belonged to a man here in town," he said, sighing heavily. "Joseph, his name was. I will bring the news to his wife. I think she has suspected he would not be returning to her, but having closure may help."

"I wish we could have saved him," Silandra said quietly. "At least no one else will have to suffer his fate down there."

"You can't save everyone," said Bardolan. "You did a great thing for us, for the whole area. You and your friends." He gestured at the others, as if just realizing that he had yet to acknowledge them.

"I'm glad we were able to help," said Silandra. "There is… something else you should know. We didn't see you when we last passed through here but on our way to the gnoll stronghold we came across your Commander, Brage. He was dead. I'm sorry."

Bardolan sighed, his eyes misting slightly. "I shouldn't be too upset about it but… he was once a good man. I wish I knew what caused him to act as he did. Regardless, death would have been his sentence if any of us saw him again."

"I thought so," said Silandra. "I hope it helps in some way, to know his fate."

"It does," said Bardolan. "Thank you for bringing me the news." He blinked a few times before speaking again quickly. "Oh, I do need to warn you about something. A Red Wizard was here asking after you, Silandra. He was also looking for Dynaheir. I did not like the look of the company he kept, but the mayor let them stay."

"Thank you, Captain," Silandra replied, frowning slightly. "We will be prepared, whatever they may be up to."

Soon they parted ways, and Silandra turned to face her friends just outside the inn.

"Dynaheir, how do you think we should handle this?" she asked. "There's a good chance Edwin is inside."

"I doubt we have much to fear from his kind in this place," said Dynaheir. "He may be foolish, but he is at least aware enough to realize an attack here would be suicide. He is also too cowardly to act directly."

"So we should just go in and hope for the best?" Silandra asked.

"Maybe you should let me enter first, just in case," Ajantis said. "The Captain said he was also asking for you. He may have heard of the bounty."

"I suppose it can't hurt to be careful," Silandra replied, sighing and wondering if she would ever get a break from assassins.

Ajantis and Minsc stepped into the inn first, and Silandra and the others were only allowed to follow once they deemed it safe.

Khalid and Jaheira were there of course, and they stood upon seeing the others enter.

There was also a rather unsavory looking group of people sitting at one of the other tables, though at least Silandra was expecting it now after what Bardolan had said. Montaron and Xzar were there, along with three others she did not recognize. At least, she didn't at first. Then she realized the half-orc looked to be the same one she had seen lurking in the Friendly Arm, and she could at least guess the identity of one of the other men. Red Wizards were not common around here and they tended to stand out. She was not particularly confident about going up against someone as advanced as he likely was, but she wasn't going to just let him take Dynaheir either. Thankfully, he did not make any sudden moves. He did notice the moment the group entered, but he seemed content to stare at Silandra for the moment. She was not entirely unused to that and decided it was an acceptable reaction for the moment. She had some unfinished business with Montaron and Xzar and so it was to them she turned to first.

"You two!" she cried. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Mummy?" Xzar said innocently.

Montaron shot him a look, before turning to face Silandra. "Don't know what yer talkin' about."

"I'm talking about you two abandoning us in Beregost," Silandra said, crossing her arms and glaring. "Jaheira wanted to leave you behind back at the Friendly Arm but _I_ vouched for you and you ended up leaving us anyway!"

"Though we'd stand a better chance at livin' without ye," Montaron said.

"You could have told us!" Silandra said. "Anyway, as it turns out, we did just fine without you. So good riddance." Now she rounded on Edwin. "And I suppose _you_ are lying in wait for Dynaheir so you can kill her?"

Edwin had continued to stare at her in silence while she spoke and did not even seem to register that she had now turned her attention upon him. She waited patiently for a response. She checked she wasn't inadvertently charming him. She wasn't.

"Edwin!" she cried, frowning.

He blinked a few times and gazed upon her. "Yes?" he said. He evidently had not heard a word she had said.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing much," he said nonchalantly. "Just waiting for you."

"For me? Not for Dynaheir?"

"Her too, but only because she has information I require. If you have any sense at all you will keep your distance from her; she is dangerous."

"Dangerous to her enemies, perhaps. Dynaheir has proven to be a loyal and skilled member of our group. You, on the other hand, tried to kill her. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Edwin rolled his eyes. "I was not trying to _kill_ her. As I said, I just want information. She is up to something. Why do you think she is so far from her home?"

"Whatever she is up to, I'm sure it's harmless enough, which is more than I can say for you. You should all leave." Silandra did not really expect them to listen, but she thought it was worth a try.

"I think not," said Xzar, eyes clear for the moment. "Our mission is the same, after all. We'll join you once again and assist you in your endeavors to find those behind this iron crisis."

"I would rather have companions I can trust," Silandra said. "I don't want someone who will run off because they are _scared_."

"I didn't say we were scared!" Montaron growled. "Just didn't wanna throw our lives away."

"Sounds like you were scared to me," Silandra said. "We don't want anything to do with any of you."

"Well we don't like you either!" Xzar shrieked, before forcing himself to calm down. "But we will leave in the morning, when we are good and ready."

"Fine," said Silandra. "Just keep your distance in the meantime."

She turned to Khalid and Jaheira who were watching in trepidation (Khalid) and what looked like amusement (Jaheira).

"How was the carnival?" Jaheira asked, smirking a little.

"It was fun," said Silandra, as she and her companions took seats.

"We found another healer to join us!" Imoen said. "This is Branwen. Branwen, this is Khalid and Jaheira."

"'Tis an honor to join a group of such fine warriors," Branwen said, smiling.

Of course, Jaheira insisted on knowing how Branwen came to join them, and then Silandra let slip that they had fought an evil mage too, so their carnival adventure was not quite without danger. But everyone had survived, and that was the important thing, as Khalid pointed out.

Jaheira then recounted the conversation she and Khalid had with the mayor when they returned to town. He had shown his appreciation to the group by giving them a rather generous sum of gold.

"We have some other news too," said Jaheira, her expression rather grim.

"Ooo, are you and Khalid having a baby?" Imoen asked, eyes gleaming.

Khalid's eyes went wide and he even blushed faintly, but Jaheira just scowled. "Of course not. As you know, we sent a message to a contact of ours some time ago, hoping they can tell us more about what befell Gorion and who may have been after Silandra in particular. We received a reply today, but they have insisted they must give us their information in person."

"So they're coming here?" Silandra asked.

"Khalid and I will be visiting them," said Jaheira. "In Athkatla, to be specific. We will try to be quick, but we will likely be gone for a couple of weeks."

Silandra wasn't sure how she felt about that. Jaheira's presence had often been stifling, but she was undeniably experienced and in some ways it did feel good to have someone with her who knew what they were doing. But as she looked upon the other members of her group, she felt maybe she would not need the druid's expertise quite so much anymore. For some reason she still felt she might actually miss her. Khalid may be quiet most of the time, but she enjoyed his company. He was also the best at starting fires. Who would make them in his place?

"You're leaving us?" Imoen cried.

She was so surprised that she did not immediately notice the bread being set on the table, nor the waitress waiting for her drink order. Branwen, however, tore into the food with gusto and called for a 'plentiful supply of ale'.

"Only for a short time," said Jaheira. "I would rather not, but… I feel this is important. It is just too strange for someone to be after Silandra like this. And at least there are now others to look after her."

"We won't let any harm come to her, you have my word," Ajantis said.

"I believe that," Jaheira said, looking at him rather shrewdly, "but I would feel better about our absence if we could discuss your next moves."

"We will head to Beregost, find this Tranzig and interrogate him," Silandra said. "Then… well, hopefully we'll find out where the people behind all this are hiding and we'll get rid of them."

"I doubt it will be that simple," Xan said with a sigh. "Things never are."

"Mayhap not," Dynaheir said. "It is all we can do for now."

"I also think you should take this to the smith in Beregost," Jaheira said, withdrawing the bottle of suspected ore poison found in the mines and a wrapped object, which turned out to be a small piece of tainted ore, already rusting. "I thought it may be useful to take some with us. Maybe there is something he can do to salvage the ore leaving the mine. It will take some time before quality ore is in circulation again."

Dynaheir accepted the items, carefully rewrapping the ore and murmuring a cantrip, sealing the wrappings, before putting it and the poison in her bag.

It was hard to relax with Xzar, Montaron and their companions in the room, but at least they were not sitting nearby. Silandra had positioned herself so that she could keep an eye on them and she was sure she was not the only one. For the most part they kept to themselves, whispering every now and then, but Edwin kept looking at her, and to her surprise and unease she saw that the half-orc did too. He had been silent earlier, and she realized he was not in Dynaheir's description of the group that tried to kill her, so he had joined them later. She did her best to ignore him, focusing on the fact that she and her friends had escaped the mine with their lives and were finally able to loosen up a little.

Khalid and Jaheira were sensible enough to retire early, but Silandra wanted to make the most of this time before she would be on the road again. The more wine she drank, the easier it was to relax and the harder it was to convince herself that she should get some sleep.

Garrick had begun playing his lute and was singing, finding a small audience in Imoen and a few commoners, and Silandra was on her third glass of wine, which was probably one too many. It was a little too noisy at this point for proper conversation, but she and Ajantis were trying anyway. He related stories of his childhood in Waterdeep, a city that was sounding more and more interesting.

Then there was a whoosh of air behind her and a surprised cry of pain followed by a thud. She spun around, too quickly so that it made her a little dizzy, and Ajantis stood, sword drawn. He had been far more sensible than her, only sipping one flagon of ale the whole evening.

Standing before them was the half-orc, his sword drawn and glistening with blood. On the floor was one of the inn's patrons who Silandra had barely registered upon entering. A young man wearing black and green, his chest opened in a gruesome display. There was a dagger lying inches from his hand. His fingers twitched a few times as if trying to reach for it, even as he struggled to breathe, and then he was still.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ajantis demanded.

Minsc was standing too, though he had indulged far more in his ale and probably could not be relied on at this point. Boo was apparently too young to drink so he was in fine form, standing on Minsc's shoulder and shaking his tiny fists at the half-orc.

"This man was obviously an assassin," the half-orc said, his deep voice sounding like a growl.

"A likely story coming from a blackguard such as yourself!" Ajantis retorted. Silandra didn't think she had ever heard him sound so… well, so _hateful_ before.

"I'm sure if you search him there'll be something incriminating," the half-orc said.

Silandra glanced at Imoen. Searching bodies was usually her job, but she was currently in no state to do so. She was obviously inebriated, and she was looking up at the half-orc in what appeared to be amusement of all things. No one else was making a move, including the intimidating half-orc before her. She decided he could have killed her if she had been his target and left her chair to bend down beside the dead man.

The dagger itself lent credence to the half-orc's words. The man had obviously been holding it when he died. Though since her back had been turned she couldn't know for sure that he wasn't just trying to defend himself against the half-orc. She frowned, trying to think through the fog the alcohol had put over her mind.

The man was well-armed. Not only did he have a sheaf of throwing daggers, but he also had a short sword which would surely have been a much better choice for fighting the half-orc, if that was what he was trying to do.

Then she found a letter in his pocket. Her fingers trembled as she unrolled the parchment and read.

"Oh…" was all she could say.

"What is it?" Ajantis asked.

She stood and handed him the letter.

"I think you should both put your weapons away," she said, and turned to the half-orc. "Thank you. It seems you saved me."

"Dorn Il-Khan, at your service," he said roughly. She got the feeling he did not use such words often.

"I'm Silandra," she replied. "Though considering your traveling companions, I suppose you already know."

"I was, in fact, seeking you out," he said. "I would like to join your group."

"Oh," Silandra said, surprised. She wished she had not drunk so much wine; she did not think she usually sound so… vapid. "I'm sorry but your companions are not welcome."

"I'm not particularly attached to them," Dorn said.

"Silandra, you are not considering having a _blackguard_ join us, are you?" Ajantis asked. Although he had sheathed his sword, his hand was still on the hilt and he had not even read the letter she had handed him, instead keeping his eyes on Dorn.

There was that word again. Silandra had heard of blackguards of course, but she had thought Ajantis was only using it as…well, as an insult, perhaps. Now she wondered if there might be more to it. Blackguards were evil, practically the polar opposite of paladins, and not the kind of person she really wanted to associate herself with. But he had saved her, and he must have had a reason for it.

"Why did you save me?" she asked.

"Because I want to join you," Dorn said.

"And why would you want to do that? I didn't think blackguards would care too much about clearing the world of bandits."

"I don't. But my patron says I should join with you, and I do as he says."

"And if your 'patron' says to kill her?" Ajantis asked.

"He does not want her dead," said Dorn, looking faintly amused.

"I think I need to discuss this with my companions," said Silandra.

Dorn just shrugged and headed back to the table where his group was sitting. She expected them to have something to say about him being prepared to leave them so easily, and sure enough, the table broke into frantic whispers the moment he sat down.

"He's evil!" Ajantis said. "No good can come of allowing one such as he to join us."

"Perhaps, but he did save me," said Silandra. "Since you did not bother to read the letter, I'll tell you what it said. It wasn't just a regular bounty notice. It was a letter directly from Tazok to the assassin. Now, not only do I have a bounty on my head, but Tazok himself has got wind of my movements. I'm not really sure why he has singled me out as the leader though. Let's also not forget those women that ambushed us yesterday. Apparently word travels quickly among these people."

"Are you sure there is no connection between him and the other bounties?" Xan asked. "It does seem strange that you are the only one being named."

"But they started before I had even done anything!" Silandra replied. "Why would they have wanted me dead then?"

"There is obviously something bigger at play," said Dynaheir, her dark eyes gazing upon Silandra in a way that made her uncomfortable. "We shall have to proceed carefully."

"I thought we _were_ being careful," said Silandra. "Though I guess tonight we slipped up."

"It won't happen again," said Ajantis, looking a little guilty.

"You can't be watching for danger all the time," said Silandra. "I really don't expect _any_ of you to want to stay with me after this. I'm obviously just making the rest of you less safe."

"We'll never leave you!" Imoen said drunkenly, glaring at the others as if daring them to disagree.

"I'm not going to try to make anyone stay," said Silandra. "If anyone wants to leave, I won't hold it against you."

She wasn't sure what she expected, but no one moved or said anything. She was glad. She was already beginning to see these people as friends, perhaps even family, and although she hated the thought of any of them being hurt because of her, she didn't really want them to go either.

"Neira, the assassin who attacked me when we first came to Nashkel," she went on, trying to remember, "she said a mage had to be nearby to communicate with the bounty hunters. What if that's Tranzig?"

"There can't be very many evil mages with that kind of power in the area," said Xan. "It seems likely."

"What do you all think about Dorn?" Silandra asked. "I'll admit I don't know much about blackguards, just that they serve demons. But he did save me, and with Khalid and Jaheira leaving us, maybe we could use the help."

"Are you serious?" Ajantis asked, looking horrified. "I think you would only be in _more_ danger if he joined us."

Garrick just shrugged and Imoen nodded, though she probably should not be counted as she was clearly not in her right mind. Neither was Branwen, who was paying more attention to her ale than the conversation.

"We can give him a chance," said Dynaheir. "He may also know something of what Edwin is planning."

"I like the idea of having another sword between me and death," said Xan.

"Boo is not sure," said Minsc, looking like he was attempting to think.

Silandra herself wasn't sure what to do. She did agree with Xan, that she would feel safer with another strong fighter on her side. But she also knew it could be dangerous to trust someone like Dorn. She was sure that if he wanted her dead, she would be, but she was wary about what else a demon may want with her.

She knew what Jaheira would say. Dorn could not be trusted and it was a risk the group should not take. Perhaps that was what finally made her decide to accept him.


	19. Chapter 19

Silandra winced as Jaheira berated her and could only be glad she wasn't actually yelling. She knew it was not out of consideration for the headache she had woken with, but rather due to Jaheira not wanting Dorn to overhear. The druid was even angrier than Silandra had expected.

"Khalid and I won't even be around to watch him!" Jaheira continued. "And what if he is just a spy for the others?"

That was something Silandra had not considered the night before. She had believed Dorn when he said he was not attached to his group members, and unless he had known them previously, she knew this was likely true. After all, he had not been traveling with them for long.

"I'm not sure they would have much use for a spy," she said, rubbing her head. "I guess you could consider the bounty a secret, but they already know about that, and—"

"Do not forget that they are investigating the bandits as well," Jaheira said, lowering her voice further. "They cannot be trusted to do the right thing if they manage to get ahead of us somehow. For all we know they might join whoever is behind this."

Silandra glanced to where Montaron, Xzar, Edwin and Kagain were sitting eating breakfast. They had not addressed her or even Dorn directly since the night before, but they were doing a lot of whispering and, from the glares shot in her direction, it was easy to guess the topic.

Dorn was sitting with her and her companions at their table beside Branwen, who did not seem adversely affected from her drinking the night before and was cheerfully engaging him in conversation. The only other person who was paying him any attention was Ajantis, who was so busy glaring at him that he nearly knocked over his drink when he tried to pick it up and missed. Silandra hadn't given him much chance to say anything last night; she had spoken to Dorn briefly and gone straight to bed.

"I won't give him a chance to give them any information," Silandra said, frowning. She looked again at the other group, making sure they weren't looking _too_ closely, and showed Jaheira what Dorn had given her first thing in the morning. The lock of hair she had given Montaron and Xzar, when she was not aware enough to know what power it could give them over her. Dorn had informed her of what they _had_ been using it for. "Yes, it's my hair, and I gave it to them after I tried charming Xzar when we first met. I didn't know then what they might be able to do with it. Now they can't track me, or do whatever else it is mages do with other people's hair. I think that in itself is a show of good faith on Dorn's part. And anyway, if he does anything, I can just charm him and make him fall on his own sword."

Jaheira looked surprised at that, and Silandra did not blame her because she was a little shocked herself. Was that really something she could do? If it was a life or death matter, then the penalty _should_ be death, but what if Dorn's betrayal was less than that? Did he still deserve death? Silandra wasn't certain she even _could_ charm Dorn, but it was the only power she might hold over him since she certainly wasn't going to beat him in a physical fight and she wasn't sure any of her spells were powerful enough to defeat him.

"I'll admit, I am impressed Dorn retrieved that for you," Jaheira said. "There are more harmful uses for a person's hair than only tracking them. Just… be careful. I know we have not been close but Gorion wanted Khalid and I to keep you safe. We would not even leave you now if we did not feel it was important."

"It's not like I'll be alone. I'll be fine, and I'm sure we will all be keeping an eye on Dorn."

Jaheira did not press the matter further, likely only because they were short on time, and Silandra was relieved. She herself wasn't entirely confident in her decision to let Dorn join her group and she could only hope she would not come to regret it.

Khalid and Jaheira stood, and Silandra knew it was time to leave. She felt a twinge of worry, knowing that she would finally be separated from them for a while. No matter how much she and Imoen had imagined taking charge of their adventures when they finally got away from Candlekeep, she knew they were inexperienced and although Jaheira could be overbearing, at least she knew what she was doing.

She hesitated just a moment before hugging both Khalid and Jaheira. It was strange how much affection she suddenly felt for them now that they were leaving.

"I hope you have a safe journey," she said.

"Take c-care, Silandra," Khalid said.

"Don't take any unnecessary risks," Jaheira added, though she did not sound quite as stern as she had a few moments ago.

Imoen hugged them too, looking a little teary, and they all left the inn. Silandra checked that Edwin and his companions were still seated, not entirely sure they would not try following her, before exiting herself.

Khalid and Jaheira headed south with one final wave at the group, but Silandra hesitated outside the inn.

"What is it?" Ajantis asked,

"There's just a… precaution I would like to take before we leave," she said. "It will just take a moment."

She glanced around, frustrated that when she actually wanted to see him, Bardolan was nowhere to be found. She thought she recognized one of the guards on patrol though and she approached, smiling.

"Excuse me," she said. "I'm Silandra. You remember me right?"

"Of course," the guard replied. He was young and looked rather pleased to have her address him.

"I was just wondering if you could do me a small favor," she continued.

"Of course!" the guard said again. "What do you need?"

"The men who were looking for Dynaheir and I these last few days… they are currently in the inn. I just need you to make sure they don't leave for another hour or so. I don't want them following us."

"Yes, I can do that." The guard looked a little disappointed, perhaps that she hadn't asked for something else, but at least she was sure he would do what she asked.

"Thank you," she said. "I really appreciate it."

The man frowned suddenly as she was about to turn back to her friends, looking past her. "That… that half-orc, you know he was traveling with them, right?"

"Oh yes," said Silandra. "We're taking him with us."

"Well, I hope you have a pleasant journey, my lady," the guard replied, though he still looked a little unsure.

The journey to Beregost could be best described as tense. Dorn did not seem too interested in antagonizing the others, and Silandra could not find any fault with him as a traveling companion so far. He was quiet and kept to himself, only really talking with Branwen because she approached him.

There had been an incident when Minsc, in an attempt to perhaps befriend the blackguard, introduced him to Boo. Dorn had commented on how smart it was to carry around an emergency food supply and now Minsc was terrified the blackguard would try to steal Boo and eat him. Silandra was mostly certain that it was Dorn's idea of a joke.

Ajantis remained close at her side, even more so than before. He made sure they walked behind the blackguard so he could watch him, practically scowling the whole time. Silandra wanted to make a joke about his face staying that way if the wind changed, but she got the impression he would not appreciate it. He was not openly angry with her, more incredulous, and he did not seem in the mood to speak to her as he usually did when they walked. She hoped he would get over it soon; she found she missed their conversations.

Xan and Dynaheir did not seem to care about Dorn's presence one way or another, and spent most of their time walking together, deep in discussion. Imoen joined them for a while, and Silandra got the sense she was discussing her interest in magic with them. Well, it would be about time.

Garrick did not seem to mind losing his usual traveling partner for a while, happy enough to walk by Minsc's side instead. Minsc enjoyed the company too, since it didn't take much to get Garrick to tell him a story, and he knew so many that so far, he had not needed to tell the same one twice. Every now and then Minsc would ask for one in particular though, insisting it was one of Boo's favorites.

Silandra was paying more attention to her surroundings than usual. She normally depended on Jaheira to call stops for lunch and setting up camp for the night, and now, Silandra was pretty sure it was up to her. She also could not deny that she was a little worried about Dorn's former companions following, even after asking the guards to delay them.

She knew she was going to have to talk to Dorn at some point. Jaheira's spying concern had given her the idea that he might have information that she and her companions didn't, and it could be useful. She was also rather curious as to how he had ended up with Edwin and the others. She knew this was a conversation that should happen sooner rather than later, but even though Dorn had saved her, he was _scary_.

Still, she knew it had to be done, and so she was thinking about what exactly she was going to say to him while she began looking for a place to camp for the night. She tentatively picked the kind of spot Jaheira might have, a short distance from the road and sheltered by a few trees. No one disagreed, which she hoped was a sign that she had chosen well. She was fairly confident that at least Ajantis would say something if he thought their prospective campsite was unsafe.

Silandra worked with Imoen to raise their tent, as usual, and settled down beside Dorn. She did not say anything yet, still trying to work up the nerve.

Ajantis took over Khalid's task of making the fire and turned out to do a good job. Silandra supposed she should not have been surprised; it was the kind of thing he had probably learned in the Order. He came to sit on her other side, and she was sure he was highly unimpressed by where she had chosen to sit but he remained silent for the moment.

Imoen was on dinner duty and Minsc and Branwen were taking the first watch. Xan and Dynaheir were already immersed in their spell books and so was Garrick. Silandra could not remember seeing him like that before, and was glad that he was apparently deciding to take magic a little more seriously.

"So, I have a few questions," Silandra began, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

"Go ahead," Dorn replied. His tone was neutral rather than annoyed or angry, and she felt a little better.

"How did you end up with Montaron and Xzar's group?" she asked.

"They came across a few of my former companions," Dorn said. "There was a battle, and we were on the same side, so after we won I decided to join them."

"Former companions? Do you switch allegiances so often?" Silandra wondered if it _was_ a mistake to let Dorn join.

Dorn was silent for a moment and she wondered if he just wasn't going to answer, and whether she should try and make him. Beside her, she could sense Ajantis was also interested in what the blackguard had to say about this.

"Before I met Edwin and the others, I was tracking down the remainder of a group I used to be a part of," Dorn said finally. "They betrayed me and left me to rot in a cell. I do not take betrayal lightly. It is my mission to track them down and kill them. Now only one remains, and he is currently out of reach in Baldur's Gate. The city is currently closed due to the bandit activity, or so I have heard."

"I see." Silandra wanted more information, but decided it could wait for the moment. "So I suppose you decided to work together? Montaron and Xzar's group would help you get your revenge and you would help them with the mine?"

Dorn nodded. "And Edwin wanted assistance in killing Dynaheir. I, of course, have no quarrel with the witch."

"I'm glad to hear it, because I will _not_ tolerate any infighting in my group," Silandra said, rather proud of how stern and Jaheira-like she sounded. Her words were directed at Ajantis as much as they were Dorn, and she hoped the paladin knew it. "You will understand if I am a little… concerned, that you may leave us like you just did the others."

"Aside from my more personal quest, my main one was to find you. In fact, as another show of my sincerity, here."

He pulled a roll of parchment from his pack and handed it over casually. Silandra felt a little sick as she opened it and found it was one of the bounty notices, this time with a rather accurate drawing of herself. She couldn't think of what to say at first, but Ajantis did the speaking for her.

"I knew it!" he cried, swiftly moving to his feet and drawing his sword. "You _are_ after the bounty."

Silandra suspected—or rather hoped—that Dorn had some other reason for having the notice. She reminded herself that he could have killed her already if he wanted to. But she could not deny that seeing that piece of parchment made her remember all the other attempts on her life, and she wondered if she would ever be safe again.

Xan and Dynaheir looked up from their books for a moment, but didn't seem worried enough to actually do anything. Silandra hoped they were right.

Dorn just rolled his eyes. "This is how I knew of you, and when I received it my patron said I should find you and join with you. I thought I had established by now that I don't want you dead."

"I believe you," Silandra said, though her voice was shaking. "Ajantis, calm down."

"Are you not curious as to what a _demon_ might want with you?" Ajantis asked, still standing.

"Of course I am," Silandra replied. "I was getting to that."

"He has not told me," Dorn said. He actually sounded a little put out by that, and Silandra did not think he was lying.

"Who exactly is your 'patron'?" she asked. Hopefully he could at least give her that, and if she did not recognize the name, perhaps one of the others would.

"Ur-Gothoz, although I doubt that means anything to you."

Silandra glanced up at Ajantis, who showed no sign of recognition. She decided she would try doing some research once they got to Beregost. Maybe she could find the information in a book. She also wanted to visit Firebead, who should have returned from Candlekeep by now. He seemed the kind of person who would know a lot of things so perhaps she could ask him, though she somehow knew he would not approve of her allowing a blackguard to join her.

"Ajantis, will you please sit down?" she asked. It made her uncomfortable having him looming over her like that. "I am not in any immediate danger."

"Dinner's ready, and if you don't sit, you're not getting any!" Imoen said, brandishing the knife she had been using to cut the bread.

"You are too trusting," Ajantis said, but he did at least return to his place on the ground beside her.

Imoen began serving dinner, and Silandra wondered if what Ajantis had said was true. She didn't think so. Perhaps in this particular case. But she had been given many reasons recently _not_ to trust strangers, since so many of them had tried to kill her. She just did not think Dorn was dangerous—at least, not to her.

"Who gave you that bounty notice?" she asked after a while, picking at the remnants of her bread. Of course, she had a good idea of who may be distributing them by now, but confirmation would be nice.

"It was slipped under my door one night at the Red Sheaf Inn while I was in Beregost," said Dorn.

Silandra was a little disappointed that he couldn't give her a name or at least a description, but at least this did add credence to the idea that this Tranzig was behind the bounties. She wasn't sure she wanted that to be the case, because for the people behind the iron crisis to want her dead the moment she left Candlekeep—perhaps before, if they were responsible for the assassins within the keep itself—then this was a lot bigger and scarier than she had ever expected.

"Did you learn anything interesting while traveling with the others?" she asked, deciding a change of subject might make her feel better. "Like what Montaron and Xzar are really up to, because I doubt they really care about solving the problems in the area. Or maybe you know what Edwin really wants with Dynaheir."

Dorn shrugged. "We did not speak much. Montaron and Xzar said they wanted to find who was behind the mine problems and Edwin wanted to kill Dynaheir. None of them told me why and that's not something I generally care to ask."

"You said that you won't leave us because following me is what your patron wants, but what if a better offer comes along and he changes his mind? Will you go off with some other group, just like that?"

"I do not believe that will happen."

Silandra wasn't sure that made her feel any better. Since she didn't know why Ur-Gothoz wanted Dorn to follow her, she didn't know what may make him change his mind. But she didn't think she would get anything more reassuring from Dorn, at least not tonight.

She was contemplating joining the mages in studying for a while. She looked over and was met with a rather curious sight. Imoen, who had avoided most of her lessons back in Candlekeep and often slept or otherwise occupied her thoughts elsewhere when she did attend, had joined Xan and Dynaheir and appeared to be entirely focused on whatever they were saying. Maybe tonight, it would be best to leave them, since Imoen's concentration may not be so easily regained if she disrupted it. At some point, Silandra wanted to ask Dynaheir about her quest. She felt there might be some truth to what Edwin had said, and although she did not think Dynaheir meant her any harm, she felt she was likely in the area for a purpose and she wanted to know what that was. It didn't look like she would get any answers tonight.

"Silandra, could I have a word?" Ajantis asked, breaking through her thoughts.

"Alright," Silandra replied, turning to face him.

"Away from the others, if you don't mind," he said, glancing briefly at Dorn.

Silandra sighed, preparing herself for a spiel about how evil Dorn was and how wrong she was for letting him in the group. She almost declined, but decided it might just be better to let Ajantis get it out of his system, so she nodded and followed him a short distance from the group. The light of the fire was still visible, but the voices had died down to a low murmur so that no words could be made out.

"I am concerned about Dorn," said Ajantis. "I cannot fathom why you would invite him to join us. I worry for your safety as it is, and now I feel you are jeopardizing yourself further for no good reason."

"I don't think Dorn is going to hurt me," Silandra said. "I know that his… values are probably as far from yours as can be possible, and I'm sorry that his presence makes you uncomfortable, but I think our group is stronger with him in it. We did just lose Khalid and Jaheira, after all."

"Is that why you allowed him to join? You don't think you will feel safe enough otherwise?"

"Maybe that's part of it. I do find it hard to turn down help. I know that blackguards serve demons but they are supposedly very powerful because of it."

"It is dark power, tainted by evil. What about the Light? Do you not have faith in me?" Ajantis looked a little hurt at the thought. Nervous, too, as if he thought there was a good chance she would confirm his fears.

"Of course I do," Silandra said quickly. "But we both know you can't be looking out for me at every moment."

"Minsc is… simple-minded, and I was wary of him at first. But surely he can protect you as well as I. And the others have their own strengths. You do not need this blackguard to keep you safe. To be honest, I fear for you in… other ways. You do not have the protection of any god, and I worry that the demon Dorn is bound to will get to you in some way."

"You think I'm going to go to the dark side?" she asked. She found the idea rather amusing, but she was careful not to let it show, not when she could see Ajantis was so earnest.

"Not intentionally. You have a good heart, Silandra, I have seen that. If you didn't then I would not still be here. But a demon's influence can be strong, and—"

"I really don't think I'm the type to be influenced easily. I think it's far more likely that I will turn Dorn to the Light."

"You're not serious!" Ajantis looked like he was very worried she was.

Silandra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course, I don't believe that will happen and I'm not going to try. Just try to have _some_ faith in me. If I were easily influenced you could have got me to follow Helm."

"It would just be… better, safer, if you could find some god that you can connect with. Have you given it any further thought these last few days?"

Silandra felt her shoulders slump at the question. But when would she ever _want_ to discuss this? She definitely was not up for it tonight. She needed to get some studying done before retiring, and she did not want to be up too late as they would leave at dawn. But she resigned herself to the fact that Ajantis was just not going to let this go. Even Jaheira had thought her situation was far from ideal. Up until recently Silandra had not thought it so strange to not worship any god, but perhaps she should put a little more effort into at least thinking about it.

"I'm still undecided, and I don't want to get into it tonight," she said. "But tomorrow night we will be in Beregost. If our encounter with Tranzig goes well, we might be able to take a little time to relax, and then perhaps we can discuss it."

Ajantis looked a little relieved. "I am glad to hear it. I don't mean to push you, but I have been worrying about this for a while. It seems you attract danger, and you need all the protection you can get."

"I do think you're right about that," Silandra said, sighing. "I really wish I knew why anyone would want me dead."

"As do I. But surely this Tranzig will have the answers. And in the meantime, I will do my utmost to keep you safe. Not just from the assassins, but from Dorn and his demon patron if necessary."

Silandra was not so confident she would learn everything she needed to from Tranzig, nor was she sure she liked Ajantis' chances against Dorn if it came down to that, but the sentiment was nice all the same. She smiled and thanked him, which apparently rendered him speechless, even though she knew she wasn't charming him. Or perhaps she was in some way, just not magically.

She took his arm and brought him back to the rest of the group where they settled on the ground, this time away from Dorn. She pulled out her spellbook and he began cleaning his sword, and they were able to spend the rest of the evening in peace.


	20. Chapter 20

The sun was setting by the time they arrived in Beregost. Silandra had thought it important to make good time in case Tranzig moved on, and she knew her group could handle the fast pace. Yet she did wonder if it would not have been wiser to spend two nights in the wilderness and arrive refreshed for their encounter with Tranzig. She hated that making such decisions was now her responsibility and could only hope things went smoothly.

Before heading down the darkening streets towards their target, they made a brief stop at the Burning Wizard to reserve rooms for the night. They may have some coin now, but not enough to justify the exorbitant prices at Feldepost's.

Silandra drew her hood tighter around her face. She was beginning to realize how important it was to keep herself hidden around people. Because of her efforts to conceal herself, she was more surprised than she would otherwise have been to hear a vaguely familiar voice addressing her.

"Well now young Silandra, our paths cross once more."

She looked up, eyes wide as she realized she had been recognized despite her efforts. Standing before her was a red-robed figure with a matching pointy hat, one she had seen once before.

"Have you been following me?" she asked, unsure whether or not she should be preparing for a fight.

Ajantis, of course, tensed immediately, and Dorn, who had been walking beside Branwen a few paces ahead, turned and moved his hand to his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. Behind her, Silandra was sure her other companions were just as nervous, though she was not going to take her eyes off this man to look.

"Only word of thy deeds," the old man replied. He looked rather amused. "I suppose proper introductions are in order, as we will no doubt meet again. My name is Elminster. It would seem that thou art destined to have quite the impact on the Sword Coast."

Silandra had, of course, heard of Elminster. She was more than a little awed, but remained wary. After all, for all she knew he was Tranzig in disguise. She did feel a tremendous amount of magical energy pouring off the man, getting stronger now as though he had been concealing it before and only now letting his true power show.

"Even if you are Elminster as you say, what would you know about my destiny?" Silandra asked, frowning.

"Alas, that is not something I may share. Thou appear to be on the right path, which is all I care to see at this time. Thou hast surrounded thyself with strong allies, who shall aid thee well in the battles to come. But enough of my ramblings. I understand you have an appointment with a certain wizard. I shall take my leave."

"Wait!" Silandra cried, but the man was already gone. She didn't exactly _see_ him disappear. He was suddenly just not there anymore, and she recalled he had done the same thing the first time she had met him. "Where'd he go?" she asked, half to herself.

"That was really Elminster!" Garrick breathed. "He's probably the most powerful wizard in the world. He can do _anything_. I wish he would have stayed to answer a few questions."

"We met him once before, on the way to the Friendly Arm," said Imoen. "Wish we'd known who he was then."

"Regardless of what he says, it really does seem like he's following me," Silandra said, frowning. "And he knows my name…"

"Of course he does," said Garrick, still sounding awed. "He's _Elminster_."

"Well, he made it seem as though we will see him again," said Silandra. "Maybe next time you can ask for an autograph."

Garrick's eyes lit up at the thought, and Imoen looked enchanted by the prospect too.

"Elminster's presence is likely not a _good_ thing," said Xan. "Nor is his apparent interest in you. You should probably tread carefully."

"Well, more carefully than you already do," Imoen added.

Silandra felt ill at ease, but she knew they had to continue. There was no telling how long Tranzig would stay where he was and it was important that they catch him.

"We need to keep going," she said, indicating Feldepost's Inn up ahead.

"We should not all enter at once, just in case he's down in the main part of the inn," Xan said quietly as the inn came into view.

"I agree, 'twould be wise to scout the place first," said Dynaheir.

"I'll go!" Imoen said eagerly. "I can be sneaky, scope the place out. Garrick can go with me."

"I believe I should go," said Xan, sounding reluctant. "I am not overly eager to throw myself into peril but I can communicate from within if necessary."

"How?" Silandra asked, looking at him curiously.

"I can temporarily connect with Dynaheir's mind," said Xan. "We can maintain the channel long enough for me to scout the area and ensure it is safe… and if there is danger and I am physically unable to warn you, I will be able to communicate to her."

Silandra was even more intrigued now. That was something she would like to learn herself, though like so many other things, she suspected it was more advanced than she was ready for. "Alright," she said. "I think that sounds good, if no one else has a better suggestion?"

She glanced around at her companions, and when no one spoke up Xan's plan was enacted. He spent a moment linking hands with Dynaheir, eyes closed, before heading into the inn, his cloak wrapped tightly around him. Silandra found herself feeling anxious for him, despite knowing he was an experienced mage. So far, he had not spoken much of his position as a Greycloak, but she got the sense it was fraught with danger so he was probably used to situations such as this.

Thankfully, a few moments later Dynaheir declared the inn safe, and the rest of the group filed in. Silandra was careful to keep her face covered. It had not prevented Elminster from recognizing her, but she was sure he was a special case.

Dorn and Minsc entered the inn first, followed by the rest of the group. Ajantis was still wary as he stepped inside, looking around the inn himself before relaxing slightly. The common room was full and most of the occupants were listening to music provided by a group of three bards. They were quite good and on some other occasion Silandra would have enjoyed taking a seat to listen, but there was no time for that now. She looked around and saw that Xan was at the bar, speaking with the innkeeper.

"I know what room he is in," he said quietly when he returned to the group. "He is not using his own name, but there cannot be many mages of his power in the area. He rarely leaves his room so he is most likely there now."

"How should we proceed, if he is really so powerful?" Silandra asked, knowing Xan and Dynaheir were much better equipped than she to form a plan.

"I doubt we will be able to sneak up on him," said Xan. "He may have warded his room, so the best we can do is approach with caution and cast whatever protections we can."

"I will cast a blessing," said Branwen. "It will help us to resist his spells. Then when we enter I will attempt to silence him. Without his magic he will be nothing."

"Just remember, we want him alive," said Silandra. "After we have whatever information he can give us, you can do what you want with him. Anything else?"

"He will most likely have magical protections," said Dynaheir. "Xan and I can focus on bringing them down."

"Alright," Silandra said, nodding. She was glad to have people with her who knew how to fight a powerful mage, but she was still nervous about the impending battle. After all, they knew that this man was formidable enough to turn someone to stone, though at least he would not be able to affect the whole group at once with such a spell. "I will try and charm him from the beginning, I think. There may not need to be much of a fight at all. Even if he resists, perhaps I can hold him just long enough to restrain him."

After Branwen's blessing, the group moved up the stairs and down the hall to Tranzig's room. Xan examined the door for a moment and ran a hand over it, then waved Imoen over. He did not speak, instead indicating the doorknob. Silandra couldn't see anything untoward about it, but Imoen frowned and pulled something from the toolbelt at her waist with the kind of silence only she was capable of. There was a quiet click, and then another as she unlocked the door.

The door opened, Dorn and Minsc taking the lead, and a faint alarm began ringing throughout the room. It was hardly necessary for the sole occupant had obviously been expecting them.

He was a rather scrawny and plain man, his dark robes hanging off him loosely. If not for the strong magical aura he emitted, he would be easily dismissed as harmless.

"I was wondering when you would show up," he said. "I'm glad, actually. I was hoping for the chance to kill you myself."

It looked like he wanted to say more, but Silandra was already pressing her influence on him, not wanting to give him the chance to start casting anything. She was not particularly surprised when she encountered resistance, but she decided to press further. She knew that pushing too hard could be dangerous, but she did not particularly care about the future state of this man's mind so long as he gave her the information she needed.

"You should know better than to think I would not have prepared for your… abilities," the man said, sneering. "You will find me a much more competent opponent than the riffraff you have encountered thus far."

There was no further warning before his spell protections sprang into place and he began casting. Branwen was quick with her silencing spell, but it evidently did not take effect. Xan and Dynaheir finished their dispels but some of Tranzig's defenses remained. Minsc charged at the wizard full force, but bounced off some kind of invisible barrier, tumbling to the ground. Dorn and Ajantis approached with more caution, though their blows also glanced off harmlessly. They were not going to be able to prevent his first spell. Silandra could only hope it wouldn't be too devastating.

The wizard's spell finished and a bright golden light issued forth from his hands, enveloping the entire group. Silandra felt the spell still her limbs, so that she was completely unable to move, and saw Minsc freeze in the midst of trying to get up from where he had fallen. Ajantis and Dorn seemed to have resisted the spell's effects, but although she could not see Xan or Dynaheir without turning, she could no longer hear their casting and she did not like to think what that may mean.

"It's pathetic to think that _this_ is the group that has thwarted so many assassins," Tranzig said, apparently unconcerned by Dorn and Ajantis circling him, looking for some kind of weakness.

Silandra thought she may still be able to influence him in this state, but she felt her mind was weaker than usual, and if she could not charm him at her full strength then she did not stand much of a chance now. Still, she tried, since it wasn't like she could do anything else. There was still no movement or sound from behind, which she took to mean that everyone save Ajantis and Dorn had fallen under the same spell she had.

Tranzig took a few steps forward, his magical barrier shoving both Ajantis and Dorn aside. Dorn did not make a sound, preferring to instead glare at the wizard, but Ajantis attempted to put himself between Tranzig and Silandra.

"Stay away from her!" he cried.

Tranzig responded by hitting him with a volley of magic missiles, sending the paladin sprawling. Silandra could not see where he landed, but she did not see him get up and she was instantly even more worried than she was before.

"I must admit that you are stronger than I had expected," Tranzig said. "You will still never be able to influence me like you can so many others. I'm rather tempted to bring you in alive, you know. Someone of your blood and your abilities could be useful, in time. But I have my orders."

Silandra would have been trembling if she had been able to move at all. She wondered how Tranzig planned on killing her, if it would be quick and if it would hurt much. She hoped he would spare her friends, though she was not quite optimistic enough to believe he would.

Then there was the faintest breeze at her back, and a flaming blue blade rushed towards Tranzig's shield. Unlike the attempts of the others, the blade seemed to absorb the shield rather than hit it, though the movement was slowed and the wizard was uninjured. Tranzig looked surprised, but not afraid, at least not until he was suddenly missing an arm. Dorn had not hesitated once the wizard was vulnerable, and the blackguard smirked as he kicked the wizard to the ground.

"Careful, we do need him alive," Xan said.

"He does not need arms to speak," Dorn growled.

"True," Xan replied. "He could still bleed out, however."

He bent down, and there was a sizzling sound and the air was filled with the smell of burning flesh, accompanied by Tranzig's muffled screams. Then Xan began casting, and soon Silandra felt herself able to move once more. She looked down to see Tranzig, bound and gagged for the moment, though he would likely find it difficult to cast spells without his right arm. Steam was issuing from the wound, and Silandra assumed that was what Xan had been attending to.

Branwen was probably itching to address Tranzig, but she took her role as the only healer in the group seriously enough to attend to Ajantis first. Silandra was relieved to see that he was still breathing, and he seemed to recover well enough after Branwen healed him.

Now Branwen came to stand over Tranzig, and he actually looked a little afraid when he saw her.

"I'm glad you remember me, dog," Branwen said, scowling. "By Tempus, my face will be the last you ever see!"

"First, we much interrogate him," Xan reminded her. "Silandra, do you think you could charm him now that he is subdued?"

Silandra tried, and thought it may be possible now that his defenses were down and she herself was not frozen. There was still some kind of mental block in place, perhaps a result of intensive training, but she pushed harder and then it was gone. Tranzig winced, but she ignored his discomfort.

"Answer my companion's questions," she said, nodding slightly at Xan.

"Let's start with something simple," said Xan. "Your name is Tranzig, correct?"

The man nodded. Silandra could already tell that she was not going to be able to make him speak much as he was resisting too hard. This was nothing like when she had charmed Neira, where she had been able to instill a false sense of friendship, at least to a certain extent. This was more like… like a harsh compulsion. She didn't like the sensation; it felt wrong in a way she couldn't quite describe, but she told herself it was necessary and pushed on.

"Who do you work for?" Xan asked.

"Tazok," Tranzig replied, practically spitting out the word.

"Where can we find him?"

Tranzig tried to keep his mouth shut, and Silandra pushed harder, causing him to wince again before he finally answered. "Wood of Sharp Teeth. Don't know where, camp's always moving."

Silandra shuddered involuntarily, feeling a headache coming on.

"Are you alright, Silandra?" Ajantis asked.

"Fine," she breathed. "Yes or no questions are easier."

Xan glanced at her and nodded briefly before continuing. "Have you been distributing the bounty notices calling for Silandra's death?"

The mage nodded.

"Do you know who wants her dead?" A shake. "Or why?"

Tranzig just shrugged. What was that supposed to mean?

"Either you know or you don't," Xan said, frowning.

"Rumors only."

"Explain."

But that was too much, Tranzig pushed back and Silandra had to let him go. She nearly fell, but Ajantis reached out an arm to steady her.

Free at last—at least, mentally—Tranzig's expression returned to the calm façade he had displayed when they first encountered him.

"I could try charming him if we think he has more to tell us," Xan said, glancing down at the wizard calmly.

"If he hath rumors only and knows not who is behind all this then I say he is useless," Dynaheir said.

"There may be truth to these rumors," Dorn said. "Perhaps it would be worth hearing them."

"I can already sense his mind will not be so easy to breach a second time," Xan said. "I doubt it would be worth it. Branwen?"

The cleric did not need to be told twice. She quickly summoned a glowing blue hammer and brought it crashing down on Tranzig's head. Silandra looked away, wincing. Even Imoen looked a little green, and she was usually happy enough to rummage through the pockets of whatever or whoever the group killed, seemingly unaffected by their wounds.

Thankfully, Xan appeared unfazed, and he knelt to search the dead wizard. "We should search the room," he said. "Carefully. There could be more traps."

Imoen nodded and began examining the furniture, looking relieved to have something to do.

Silandra lowered herself to the ground, deciding she was done standing for the time being.

"Are you alright?" Ajantis asked again.

"Just tired," she said. "I need to eat something and sleep."

Imoen's search resulted in a letter, though it only told them what they already knew—Tranzig was working for Tazok, who was somewhere in the Wood of Sharp Teeth.

"I guess that's where we're off to next," said Imoen. "Sounds kinda scary."

"'Tis where I met him," Branwen said, kicking the dead wizard. "Not a bad place. Just a few spiders and wolves."

"_Giant_ spiders?" asked Imoen, likely remembering those they had encountered in the mine.

"Of course," said Branwen, laughing at Imoen's face. "Never fear, I will protect you from them."

"We should leave," Xan said. "It's possible no one heard this through the noise downstairs but we should inform the innkeeper."

Ajantis frowned. "I doubt he will be pleased we killed one of his patrons."

"I'm sure he will not mind if I tell him what Tranzig was up to," Xan replied. "If he gives us any trouble I will charm him."

They headed downstairs, and thankfully the innkeeper was so upset that one of his patrons was in league with the bandits that had been terrorizing the coast that he wasn't particularly angry about the mess he would now have to clean up.

Once they had returned to the Burning Wizard and were eating their dinner, Silandra felt some of her strength return, though she was not in the mood for conversation so she pretended to still be at the point of exhaustion. The memory of her conversation with Ajantis the previous day about potentially discussing religion again may have had something to do with that.

It was not until she was laying down to sleep later that night that she realized it probably would have been useful to know what rumors Tranzig had heard about her. Had she been more aware at the time she liked to think she would have insisted Xan at least try to charm him and find out. But she had been too tired to protest and too trusting of her companions. She could not help but wonder if Dynaheir and perhaps Xan had their own ideas of why she was a target, and she resolved to find out the first chance she got.


	21. Chapter 21

Silandra came downstairs early to find that Ajantis was the only one awake. Had Khalid and Jaheira still been with the group, no doubt they would have been up by now as well, though she tried not to think about that. She still wasn't sure whether she missed them or was relieved they were gone.

"Good morning," she said, taking the seat beside the paladin.

"Oh, good morning, Silandra," he replied, looking flustered as he hurriedly folded the piece of parchment before him.

"What's that?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"Nothing," Ajantis said quickly. "Just a letter from my parents."

"You're lucky it arrived," Silandra said. "I thought the roads may be too dangerous."

"Couriers have fast horses," said Ajantis. "It's still risky but they have an advantage over most travelers."

"So what did they have to say?" Silandra asked.

Ajantis had been calming down, but now he reddened again. "Oh it's just their response to my last letter. I told them about… about what we've been doing."

Silandra smiled, though she decided not to press further. It probably wasn't any of her business anyway, but she was realizing it was kind of fun to agitate the paladin, just a little.

"What are our plans for the day?" Ajantis asked. "Will we leave to search for these bandits?"

"I think so, but there are a few things we should take care of while we are in town. We have that letter we found when we first left Beregost. We should deliver it. We have to take the ore and poison sample to the smith, and Branwen could probably use some decent gear. I'd also really like to visit an old friend. He should have returned from Candlekeep by now and he may be able to provide insight on a few things."

"That's a lot of tasks. Will we split up?"

Silandra nodded. "It shouldn't be dangerous so I don't see why not. That way we can leave town by early afternoon."

"I would like to accompany you, if that is alright," Ajantis said. "I want to make sure you will be safe."

"I'd like that," Silandra said, smiling. "Imoen may want to come too."

Ajantis looked a little disappointed. "Of course," he said. He paused to take a deep breath before continuing. "Silandra, I've been wanting to…"

She did not found out what he was wanting though, for Minsc came down the stairs loudly, followed by Xan and Dynaheir.

"Good morning friends!" Minsc cried, settling down beside Ajantis. He had apparently recovered from last night, when he'd been upset at being rendered useless by Tranzig's spell. "Whose butts do we kick today?"

"Perhaps no one's," Silandra said. "We have a few things to do in town before we leave so I don't know how far we will make it today."

Minsc looked crestfallen, but only for a moment. Breakfast was being served, and he was always famished first thing in the morning, so he was easily distracted by the food.

Silandra glanced at Xan and Dynaheir, neither of who had ever been particularly expressive since she had known them. She knew it may not be a good idea to try interrogating Dynaheir in front of Minsc, but she _would_ find an opportunity, and soon. Perhaps tonight when they were studying spells. She noticed Ajantis still looked a little put out.

"We can talk later," she assured him quietly.

He nodded and began to eat half-heartedly. She found herself worrying about him. What had he been about to tell her?

She glanced towards the stairs, wondering if she would have to wake the others. Sometimes Imoen had to be practically dragged out of bed. Thankfully, she did not have to wake anyone today. Moments later, the remainder of their group descended and soon everyone was sitting at the table where they discussed their plans for the day.

As it turned out, Imoen was not especially interested in visiting old Firebead Elvenhair. He was a mage, yes, but she lumped him in with the stuffy monks that were her tutors. While Silandra agreed that most of the monks could be described as 'stuffy', she did not think that applied to Firebead, but she knew Imoen had never associated with him as much as she had.

It was decided that Garrick and Imoen would visit Mirianne to deliver the letter they had found on the poor dead halfling so many days ago. Silandra felt a little guilty about waiting so long to deliver the news, but Jaheira had been in charge at the time and had decided that doubling back for such a thing was not the best course of action.

Ajantis and Silandra would visit Firebead, whose address they learned from the innkeeper, while the others would go to the smith to update their gear and gain Taerom's insight on the tainted ore and poison.

"Tell me more about this man we are meeting," Ajantis said as he and Silandra walked down the street.

"He is an old friend of Gorion's," Silandra said. "He's a powerful mage—at least, I always considered him to be. A lot of Candlekeep's visitors did not have much time for me, but he was an exception. It would be nice to see him again, and he may know something about Gorion that I don't, such as why we were attacked."

"Have you known him your whole life?" Ajantis asked.

"More or less, I suppose," said Silandra. "He visited Candlekeep often. Usually, a rare tome is required upon entry each time, but he had some kind of special arrangement with Ulraunt."

"So would you… do you think of him at all as a parental figure?"

Silandra frowned and glanced at Ajantis, wondering where _that_ question had come from. He looked nervous, though she wasn't sure why he should be.

"No," she replied. "Gorion was the last semblance of family I had. I never knew my parents. Perhaps they have family somewhere. But I will probably never know."

"I'm sorry," Ajantis said quickly. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just…"

"It's fine," Silandra replied. Truthfully, she was more confused than upset. "Look, we're here."

They had arrived outside a modest-sized house with a small, well-kept yard. It did not really look like the dwelling of a powerful wizard, but this was the address the innkeeper had given, and there was a plaque over the door with the word 'Elvenhair' engraved upon it.

Silandra knocked and waited nervously. She wasn't really sure how Firebead would react to her visit.

The door opened after a few moments and the old mage himself stood there. His robes today were a deep blue, less extravagant than those he normally wore to Candlekeep. He only peered at Silandra in confusion for a moment before a smile spread across his face.

"Why, if it isn't young Silandra!" he exclaimed. "I am so glad to see you are safe. Please, come in."

"Thank you, Mr. Elvenhair," Silandra replied as she and Ajantis entered a cozy sitting room. "This is my friend and traveling companion, Ajantis."

"A pleasure, I'm sure," the mage said. "Here, take a seat."

Silandra and Ajantis sat on the indicated sofa and Firebead settled in an armchair across from them. He waved his hand and a tea tray came floating out of the next room to settle on the table before them.

"I must offer my condolences on Gorion's passing," he said, pouring three cups of tea. "I was worried about your safety and wanted to search for you, but your trail had gone cold by the time I knew. Ulraunt chose to keep that news to himself for a while."

"He probably hoped I'd be dead by the time anyone could go looking for me," Silandra said, glaring into her teacup.

"Surely you don't mean that!" Ajantis said, sounding incredulous.

Anyone else would probably have tried to assure her that this wasn't true, but not Firebead. "Ulraunt has always acted strangely whenever you were brought up. Regardless of what he hoped, you seem to be doing well for yourself. Ajantis, is that the insignia of the Radiant Heart I see?"

"Yes," Ajantis replied. "I am a squire knight and I journeyed here to investigate the troubles in the area."

"I see. I am glad Silandra has found such a capable companion. I have heard some disturbing rumors of late."

"I have a whole group of friends with me now," said Silandra. "Imoen is among them. It hasn't been easy but we've managed. I suppose you know of the bounty then?"

"I heard of it soon after returning home," Firebead said. "It is good that you are traveling in a group. Winthrop will be pleased to know Imoen is safe too. She left him a note telling him she was going after you and he's heard nothing since."

"I'm sure she didn't mean to make him worry. I'll tell her to write." Silandra paused, considering how to phrase her questions. "The bounty is kind of why I'm here. I mean, I would have enjoyed visiting you anyway. It's nice seeing a familiar face. But I was hoping you may have answers."

"I suppose you think I can tell you who killed Gorion and who wants you dead, and perhaps even why?"

"Well… yes."

"Those are not questions I can answer, I'm afraid." Firebead paused to sip his tea before continuing. "Gorion never spoke about how he came to adopt you, but I did know him before he brought you to Candlekeep. Perhaps something in his past may shed some light upon the present."

Silandra just nodded, feeling nervous all of a sudden. Gorion never spoke much of his life before settling in Candlekeep with her, but she knew he had been an adventurer.

"Gorion, as I'm sure you know, used to travel with a few other adventurers—quite like you do right now, I suppose. He became a member of a group called the Harpers. Have you heard of them?"

"I traveled for a while with two of his Harper friends."

"Khalid and Jaheira?"

Silandra nodded. "They have gone to Athkatla to speak with one of their contacts."

"They were very close to Gorion. No doubt they seek answers. They and their fellow Harpers are those most likely to uncover why you and Gorion were attacked."

"Is it possible Gorion made enemies during his adventures, and that they are the ones after Silandra?" Ajantis asked.

"Of course," said Firebead. "That is the most likely answer, and once we discover who that enemy is, I expect things will be simpler."

"Whoever it is, they seem to have a lot of influence," Silandra said quietly. "We recently found that whoever is behind the iron crisis seems to be the same person who wants me dead."

"That is most troubling. It seems there is something bigger at play. I will think on this and find a way to contact you if I come up with anything. In the meantime, I urge you to try your best not to worry. I suggest you instead focus on your studies so that you will be better equipped to face this enemy when the time comes."

"I have been learning from the mages among my companions," Silandra said. "As you know, new spells do not always come easily to me, but I have made some progress."

"I suppose you have had some practical experience of late too," said Firebead. "Ultimately, that is the best kind."

Silandra and Ajantis then relayed their adventurers thus far, including their investigation of the Nashkel mine, which Firebead listened to with interest. He had decided to stay home until the roads became safe once more, since even though he was a capable wizard, he did not believe in taking unnecessary risks. He liked hearing that someone was finally doing something about the bandits in the area.

Firebead asked Ajantis a few questions about his time in the Order, which he was happy to answer. His devotion to Helm was inevitably brought up, and then Firebead asked Silandra if she had chosen a god yet. He was one of the few in Candlekeep who knew her well enough to know she was conflicted, though she had hoped he would not bring it up.

"Do not forget the fey pantheon," Firebead said. "I thought you had studied them."

"Of course," Silandra said. She had made a point of studying her heritage and even spoke Sylvan. But she had never considered following any of those particular gods. "I don't think they would be interested in a half-breed like me."

"You may be surprised," Firebead said. "Do you still meditate regularly?"

"I try," said Silandra. "Sometimes I'm just too tired, though I've been getting more used to traveling."

"I suggest you devote some of your meditation time to your spirituality. Keep your mind open and see who answers."

Silandra frowned. Could it really be as simple as that? She trusted Firebead though; she knew he was wise, perhaps more so than Gorion.

It was getting close to lunch time, when they were due to meet the others back at the Burning Wizard, so they bid Firebead goodbye and left. Silandra was deep in thought, her mind open to new possibilities. Full-blooded nymphs were more beautiful than her, had more charming power, could even strike a man blind or completely senseless if they chose. Although she would never admit it to anyone but herself, she was jealous of them, and she felt so much less than they that she had thought their gods would scoff at any attempts from her to revere them. But perhaps Firebead was right. She could try, and hopefully she would not be laughed at in return.

They took their time walking back to the inn. It felt good to walk the streets at a leisurely pace after all the traveling they had been doing.

"He seems like a nice man," Ajantis said. "I think his advice was good. I wish I had thought of it, but I admit I don't know much about the other pantheons."

"If anyone should have thought of it, it's me," said Silandra. "I'll at least try."

She saw Imoen and Garrick coming up the street a distance away, hand-in-hand, and waved.

"How's old Firebead?" Imoen asked when they met outside the inn.

"The same as ever," Silandra said. "I'm surprised you didn't want to come."

"I guess it would've been nice to see him," said Imoen. "I really wanted to just spend some time with Garrick though." She grinned up at the bard, who blushed in return.

Once they'd settled at a table inside, Imoen withdrew something from her pocket and handed it to Silandra. It was a ring with a golden band and a purple stone. Pretty, but not particularly remarkable on the outside. However, Silandra could feel the magic within.

"What is it?" she asked.

"A Ring of Protection," Imoen replied. "Mirianne gave it to us in exchange for the news of her husband. She was so thrilled to hear he had arrived safely. She was super worried. Made me feel kinda bad we didn't head back to give it to her right away. But anyway, that's the reward and we think you should have it. Since you can't wear armor and you're the one with assassins after you."

Silandra examined the ring critically, though she wasn't really sure what she was looking for. She did not know how to cast a spell to identify the properties of the ring.

"Mirianne told you what it is?" she asked.

"Yes, but Garrick had a look too," said Imoen. "Don't worry, it's safe."

Silandra was pretty sure Garrick was trustworthy enough. He's been with the group for a while now, longer than many of the others. In fact, he was so…simple, perhaps wasn't the right word, but Silandra could not see him scheming against her. She put the ring on with a small amount of trepidation, but nothing obvious seemed to happen. She checked she was able to remove it, and when she could she was satisfied that it was safe enough.

"Thank you," Silandra said. "I'm sure some of the others might be interested in it though. Don't you think—"

"You need it more than they do," said Imoen. "Just don't mention it."

She was right of course, and anyway, none of those absent had even been there when they had come across the letter.

The rest of their group arrived just as lunch was being served. Branwen was wearing a set of shiny new armor, and Minsc had replaced his sword. Silandra wasn't sure what had been wrong with the old one, but the new one looked bigger.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"Taerom was so grateful to us for clearing out the mine and investigating the cause of this crisis that he gave us a hefty discount," said Xan. "He has seen samples of the tainted ore before, of course, but he was most interested in the poison itself. He lacks the resources to analyze it himself but told us there is a mage nearby who can do it."

"Nearby meaning a few hours' walk to the west," Dynaheir added. She did not look pleased.

"I believe it is important enough to follow up, even if it delays our venture to the bandit encampment," Xan said, giving Dynaheir a look. "Besides, this mage sells a variety of magical items which we may find useful."

Silandra remembered Jaheira telling her she should buy a set of mage robes, and now she may actually be able to afford it. If Jaheira were here she would probably deem this detour acceptable, which was what helped Silandra decide.

"I suppose we should go then," Silandra said, glancing around at her companions. "Any objections?"

"I think we should make haste to the bandits, but I suppose a short detour will not be harmful," Dynaheir said, when no one else responded.

"It will be better to be prepared," Ajantis said. "We do not know what kind of defenses these bandits will have, and they may be expecting us for all we know."

"If we leave now, we should get there before dark," Silandra said. "Then we can camp nearby and head towards the bandit camp tomorrow."

They moved quickly towards the outskirts of town. Silandra wondered how much mage robes would cost, and if she could afford them, what else she may be able to buy. New spells, of course, though those would probably be of more use in the hands of Xan or Dynaheir.

The area to the west of Beregost had many trees and large shrubs, making it difficult to see any potential enemies. At least those enemies in turn would not easily be able to see them. There was only a faint path, made by many feet traversing the area over time. Many of the bushes bore berries; Beregost's residents probably came this way to pick them.

"Did you find out anything useful from your friend?" Xan asked, coming to walk beside Silandra. Dynaheir was not far behind.

"He did not know exactly why anyone would be after me or Gorion, but he thinks it's probably an enemy from Gorion's past. He was an adventurer once."

"That makes sense," said Xan, nodding. He glanced at Dynaheir, who remained silent.

Silandra wondered if it was just her, or if these two were acting strange. She was already leaning towards not trusting them completely after their handling of Tranzig, so perhaps she was just on edge. She _did _need to speak with them though. The others were all ahead. Imoen was always in front creeping quietly through the forest to scout for danger, and Garrick was always at her side. Dorn and Branwen were next, as Ajantis was still determined not to let the blackguard out of his sight. Minsc was bringing up the rear, humming to himself. Silandra had noticed he seemed to like being in the forest.

"Why do you think the people behind this iron crisis are trying to kill me?" Silandra asked, deciding an indirect approach would be best. She didn't want to anger her friends, after all, since she didn't really think they were plotting against her. She just wanted to know what they knew that she did not.

"Well, they certainly seem to think you pose a threat," Xan said.

"But I didn't pose a threat when I left Candlekeep with Gorion! Yet they killed him, because he would not let them take me."

Xan was quiet for a moment. He exchanged another look with Dynaheir.

"What doth thy know of thy parents, Silandra?" Dynaheir asked.

"Gorion knew my mother, but he never said more than that," Silandra said. "I sensed it was a… difficult subject for him. I always thought he would tell me more when he deemed it necessary, but now he's gone and I can't ask."

"Is there someone else who may know?" Dynaheir pressed.

Silandra thought for a moment. "Ulraunt, probably. The Keeper of Tomes back in Candlekeep. But he doesn't like me. He probably wouldn't tell me anything even if I were in a position to ask. But I don't really see how this is relevant."

"Perhaps the one after you has some grievance against your parents," Ajantis said.

"What kind of horrible person would want me dead just because they don't like my parents?" Silandra asked, making a face.

"There are people like that in this world," said Xan. He paused a moment, though at least he didn't look to Dynaheir before making his next statement. "Rest assured that we are on your side, Silandra. We have just been thinking about this, approaching from every angle we can. If we come up with something substantial, you will know."

Silandra was still suspicious, but she let it go for now. She tried to enjoy the sounds and smells of the forest. She didn't think she could live out here forever, like full-blooded nymphs probably did, but she didn't think she could remain confined to a town again either. She certainly could not live in any place as small as Candlekeep.

A large stone structure soon came into view. It was no ordinary building, rather a fortress of sorts with complicated runes scrawled on the walls. It was obviously heavily warded, though Silandra thought it may take her years to understand the spells.

It was not especially welcoming, not even when they found the entrance. The plaque over the door said the place belonged to 'Thalantyr, Master Mage of Beregost'.

"Maybe we should knock," Garrick said, looking up at the heavy wooden door in trepidation.

"Doesn't look trapped," Imoen said. "But I agree."

Before another word could be said, she rapped three times on the door. Almost instantly, it was flung open, though there was no one standing on the other side.

"Enter, if you must," came a powerful voice from within, likely amplified by magic.

Imoen glanced back at the others and shrugged before proceeding.

They ventured down a long hallway and came face-to-face with a huge figure who even towered over Minsc. He was not human, yet he was made of flesh, stitched together to form a whole. Silandra realized with disgust that she was looking upon a flesh golem. The kind of magic that went into making them was unquestionably dark and she was wondering if coming here had been a mistake. Yet the blacksmith would not have sent them into danger, would he? Obviously he knew this mage and trusted him enough to analyze the iron poison, so perhaps they should give him a chance. If, that is, they weren't flattened by his creation first.

"Leave it," the voice came again.

The golem retreated into the shadows even as Dorn and Minsc drew their swords, ready to attack.

"Let's just continue," Silandra said quickly. "Most of us don't have weapons that could hurt it anyway."

Now she was mentally adding magical weapons to her list of things to buy. She was sure Dorn's sword was magical, and so was the hammer Branwen summoned, but the others would not be able to do much against a creature such as a flesh golem. She shuddered as she caught another glimpse of the creature before it skulked away further up the hall.

They came to a large room, the walls lined with shelves containing all manner of interesting magical items. There were many books, but also jewelry, spell scrolls and odd items such as a mummified claw.

Sitting at a desk in the center of the room was the man who must be Thalantyr. He wore extravagant green and gold robes that Silandra were sure must be magical, and he himself radiated power. He was well past middle aged, but he still looked strong. He did not appear pleased to see them.

"Well, what do you lot want?" he asked, not even rising from his seat. "You don't look like you could afford my wares, and I have no time for idle chatter."

Silandra was taken aback by his manner and was working out how best to address him when Xan spoke instead.

"We have been looking into the iron crisis and have brought the poison which we believe has been contaminating the iron," Xan said, his tone matching Thalantyr's. "Taerom Fuiruim said you would be best equipped to analyze it."

Thalantyr sighed and held out his hand. "Give it here then."

Dynaheir withdrew the vial from her bag and passed it over, narrowing her eyes at him. Silandra found her scary when she looked like that, but Thalantyr did not indicate he even noticed her displeasure.

"Very little scent to speak of, most likely undetectable until the contaminated ore is brought into sunlight," he mused, swirling the vial's contents and giving it a sniff. "The recipe itself is likely to be complex, but it may not be so difficult to follow for anyone with a passing knowledge of alchemy. I will need some time to examine this properly. I suspect you want to know the exact contents, and if the effects on the iron are reversible. I'll send Taerom my results when I have them. Now off with you."

"Actually, we _are_ interested in what you have for sale," Silandra said, trying to ignore the withering look Thalantyr gave her as she spoke. No one had ever looked at her like that before, except perhaps Ulraunt.

"Oh really?" the mage responded. "I'll humor you then. What exactly were you hoping to buy?"

"Mage robes," Silandra replied, trying not to wilt under his glare.

"Those start at one thousand gold pieces," Thalantyr said.

Well, that was definitely more than they could afford. Even if they had the money, Silandra just would not feel right spending so much on herself. She could sense it would be a bad idea to try charming this man, but she had to try doing something.

"Isn't there anything we can do to reduce the price?" she asked.

"I told you that you would not be able to afford what I sell. However, today you may be in luck. It just so happens that I was robbed recently. I made the mistake of accepting an apprentice and he made off with a few powerful magic items. Of particular note are an important tome and a pair of cursed bracers."

"When did this happen?" Silandra asked.

"Only yesterday, and I doubt he got far. He set off to the west and sirenes infest the beach. Bring back my belongings and I will _give_ you a set of mage robes and a permanent discount on my wares."

"We'll do it," Silandra said. "What should we do with your apprentice? Is he dangerous?"

"He's a foolish boy and far too incompetent to pose a threat to you lot, though I'd rather not see him dead," said Thalantyr. "Considering what he has taken, he may well be by the time you find him. But if he is not, I will give him a chance to explain himself.

Silandra had not expected that, and she wondered if Thalantyr was not really as heartless as he appeared.

Moments later, the group was leaving Thalantyr's abode, and the sky was darkening.

"We'll have to camp for the night," Silandra said. "But then we will head towards the beach. Minsc, do you think you can track the apprentice?"

"I will look for his tracks," Minsc said. "If Boo and I can find them, we can find _him_."

"Do you have a plan for the sirenes if our hunt takes us that far?" Ajantis asked.

"I'm not too worried about them," Silandra said. "I can probably speak with them. Let's find a place to rest and then we can discuss it."

They settled a short distance from Thalantyr's house, just out of view. Minsc thought he had found the apprentice's tracks, which made Silandra feel more confident in their efforts to find him. Just because he headed west did not mean he had continued to do so, and now they would know if he veered off course. In some ways she hoped he had, or that he had fallen before reaching the sirenes. She was sure they did not pose any threat to herself, but the men in her party could easily fall victim to their charms, if not their poisoned arrows.

"So, how exactly do you plan on handling the sirenes, should we encounter them?" Xan asked.

"Surely they die like any other creature," Dorn said. He did not seem worried at all.

"I have encountered them on the shores of my homeland," Brawnen said. "'Tis true, they can be killed easily if you find a means to resist their charms."

"We're not killing them!" Silandra said, feeling a sudden surge of anger at the thought. "They are not _evil_, but they will protect their territory. Hopefully we will find Thalantyr's apprentice before reaching the beach, but if we do encounter the sirenes I will speak with them. As we draw close, Imoen and I will be at the front of the group, followed by Branwen and Dynaheir. The rest of you will stay back, especially if we _do_ encounter sirenes."

"That hardly seems safe!" Ajantis said. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine. Sirenes are not interested in women, and I doubt they will harm someone of fey blood without cause. We are going to aim to _not _give them cause." Silandra summoned her best Jaheira glare, aiming at Dorn especially. She was pretty sure he was a little too eager for bloodshed.

"And what if they attack?" Xan asked.

"Then we will defend ourselves and attack back," Silandra said. "We will use whatever defenses we have against charms. We will be prepared. I just hope it won't come to that."

"What about this apprentice guy? You think he'll be dangerous?" Imoen asked.

"I don't know," said Silandra. "I mean, Thalantyr doesn't think so but I get the feeling it takes a lot to impress him. We should be prepared to fight just in case. Minsc will track him and let us know if he thinks we are close. Right Minsc?"

Minsc nodded eagerly, and Boo squeaked.

Everyone began settling into their usual campsite activities. Silandra knew she really should get some quality study time in with Xan and Dynaheir, but Ajantis pulled her aside after their meal.

"There's something I need to ask you, before we head into danger once more," Ajantis said, when they were just out of earshot of the others.

He was obviously nervous, which in turn made Silandra nervous. "What is it?" she asked, trying to remain calm.

"I'm sure you are told all the time how beautiful you are. But I have seen that you are more than that. You are kind and courageous, despite your hardships, and I would like to be closer to you. I was hoping you would allow me to court you, Silandra," Ajantis said.

Silandra took a moment to wonder how long he had rehearsed that. She probably should not have been surprised, but she was anyway. When she didn't respond right away, Ajantis began to look more nervous than before.

"Of course, I realize we are living in a dangerous time, and any day, one of us could fall… although I hope it will not be so. I thought maybe I should wait until this is resolved to ask but I don't know when that will be, and—"

"Yes." She did kind of like seeing him so flustered, but she thought it would be cruel to leave him waiting too long for her answer. Besides, she found her decision came easily.

"Really? I mean, I'm glad." Ajantis smiled in what looked like relief. "I have something for you. I hope you like it."

He pulled something from his belt pouch and held it out so she could see. It was a necklace, a gold chain with a deep green gemstone as the pendant.

"It's beautiful," Silandra said, and she meant it. It was far from extravagant, but she thought simplicity was often nicer. "But when did you even have time to obtain it?"

"I bought it at the carnival while you were distracted by some magical items. This is not magical unfortunately. I just thought it would look nice on you. The green is the same color as your eyes."

"Maybe you could put it on for me?"

Ajantis flushed slightly. "Of course."

She turned and felt the chain settle around her neck and his fingers fumbling for a moment before withdrawing. She had never owned much jewelry, certainly nothing as nice as this, though when she was young she and Imoen would often weave daisy chains and fasten them around each other's neck. This felt very different from that, and when she turned to face Ajantis she found she was blushing too.

"Thank you," she said, and before she lost her nerve, she darted forward to kiss his cheek.

That predictably turned the paladin even redder than before, but Silandra did not get to find out what would have come next. Raised voices were coming from the campsite, Minsc's the most easily discernible. It sounded like Dorn had insulted Boo.

With some reluctance, they headed quickly back to the camp. Silandra reassured Minsc of Boo's fierceness and told Dorn to leave him and his hamster alone. She found it hard to be too angry though. She made some excuse to retreat to her tent for a moment and pulled out her mirror to admire how the necklace looked. Ajantis was right, the gemstone did match her eyes. She smiled at her reflection and reluctantly put the mirror aside. She knew she needed to get at least a little study done tonight, so she ventured outside to join the others.


	22. Chapter 22

"Where'd that necklace come from?" Imoen asked as she helped Silandra do her hair for the day.

Of course, Imoen would have noticed right away. The only surprising thing was that she hadn't asked last night, but perhaps it was because they had both been tired from their studies.

"Ajantis gave it to me," Silandra replied.

"Well it's about time, if ya ask me. I guess he made some kind of romantic declaration of his affections too?"

"He wants to court me," Silandra said, with a dramatic flourish.

Imoen giggled. "Of course he does. He's a knight." She paused a moment, her expression falling a little. "Maybe that's what I need."

"What about Garrick?" Silandra asked.

"You would think that, being a bard, Garrick would be more romantic. But he's just… not. Or maybe he just doesn't like me like that."

Silandra wanted to reassure her friend, but she would only do so honestly. She though Garrick's eyes did seem to light up a little when looking upon Imoen. Then again, he got a similar expression when he thought of a new line for one of his songs or found a beautiful flower.

"Wasn't he writing a song about you?" she asked.

"He wanted to write one about _you_, once," Imoen said. "When we first met him."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Imoen shrugged and stepped back, beginning to pack up her things. "It's not your fault. And Garrick _is_ writing a song about me, but it's not really romantic. It was supposed to be about the adventures of Imoen the Pink but everyone else is in it now too. Minsc has three verses!"

"How come I haven't heard him play it?" Silandra asked, genuinely intrigued.

"He says it's not ready yet. He won't show it to anyone but me."

"Well, doesn't that say something?"

"Maybe he just thinks of me as a really good friend. But it's okay. C'mon, we should get moving."

Imoen was already leaving the tent so Silandra followed. They were usually the last to be ready in the morning; the others were already nearly done packing up their tents. Just as they were beginning to dismantle their own, Ajantis came to stand beside Silandra.

"Good morning," he said, beaming down at her. "Do you need assistance?"

"Thank you, but we've got pretty good at this by now," Silandra replied, smiling back.

"Oh. Well, perhaps I could carry something for you?"

"My pack's not that heavy. I think I'm used to the weight."

"There must be something I can do for you to make you more comfortable."

She could think of a few things, none of which were possible right now. She may have grown used to traveling, but she did not think she would ever stop wishing for a warm bed, a bath and a decent meal every night.

"If I think of something, I'll let you know." She caught Imoen suppressing a giggle and shot a quick glare at her.

This seemed to appease Ajantis for the moment. The rest of the group was ready, so they began to move.

They headed west, this time with Minsc leading. Given his mental faculties, Silandra may have been hesitant to rely on his tracking skills had he not already proven them by tracking Dynaheir to the gnoll stronghold.

They had been traveling for a few hours with no further sign of Thalantyr's apprentice when Dorn slowed down, falling into step beside Silandra.

"We are being followed," he said quietly.

"How would you know?" Ajantis asked. He did not sound too happy about having the blackguard so close.

"I would not have survived so long on my own without being observant," Dorn replied. "We should be wary of an ambush."

"I am always wary," said Ajantis.

Silandra sighed. "It's probably Xzar and Montaron."

"Or more assassins," said Xan from behind. "I feel it too. Someone is watching us."

Silandra wondered how Jaheira would have dealt with this. Should the party split up to try and find their pursuer? That could be effective, but also dangerous. What if it was not just one person following them, but a whole group who meant them harm? Perhaps it was best to continue as they had been, with the awareness that they were not alone.

"Let's just continue for now," Silandra said. "If anyone attacks, we will be ready."

She did not enjoy the walk through the forest quite so much after that. She kept thinking she saw something in the trees around her, but perhaps it was just an animal. She wondered if whoever was following would want until they camped for the night, when most of the group would be asleep. She remembered the night the campsite had been burned and shuddered. She did _not_ want to experience anything like that again.

When they had traveled another hour or so and Silandra thought she could catch the faintest whiff of the sea, the group was set upon by wolves. The creatures looked to be half-starved; surely they would not attack a well-armed group of adventurers if they were not desperate. Silandra felt sorry for having to kill them.

They were just beginning to continue when Silandra thought she heard the clucking of a chicken. She decided she must be hearing things. After all, what would a chicken be doing all the way out here?

"Hey look, dinner!"

Imoen dashed to a nearby bush and pulled out a real, live chicken. It did not struggle, but it did begin squawking loudly.

"I'm not a chicken!" it said in a hoarse voice, interspersed with clucks.

Imoen squealed and promptly dropped the chicken, which ruffled its feathers and appeared to be glaring up at her.

"It _talks_!" Imoen cried, taking a few steps back.

"Of course I talk!" the chicken replied. "I am _not_ a chicken."

"You look like a chicken to me!" Imoen shot back.

"I believe this to be an enchantment," said Xan, gazing at the chicken.

"Who would enchant a chicken to talk?" Garrick asked, looking upon the chicken in wonder.

"He means this is a person, polymorphed into this form," Dynaheir said. "This is advanced magic."

Xan nodded. "Even if we did know a polymorph spell, the manner of the initial change is important."

"Bracers!" the chicken exclaimed. "A pair of bracers which were apparently cursed."

"That complicates things further," said Xan. "They appear to have changed with you so they cannot be removed."

"A powerful enough curse removal spell may work," Dynaheir said.

"You will have to take me to my master," the chicken said. "I doubt he will be thrilled to see me, but he is the only one who may be able to fix this."

"Oh, are you Thalantyr's apprentice?" Silandra asked, remembering that a pair of cursed bracers had been among the items stolen.

"Yes. My name is Melicamp." The chicken looked and sounded about as miserable as a chicken could. "He sent you to find me? Does he want me dead?"

"He just wants the things you took from him," Silandra said. "He said he will give you a chance to explain yourself."

"That's more than I expected," Melicamp said. "Very well. You'll have to carry me to him; I can't possibly walk all that way like this."

"Wait, what about the other things you stole from Thalantyr?" Ajantis asked.

Even in chicken form, Melicamp's sigh was obvious. "I don't have them. A couple of brigands made off with them, everything except the bracers, which I used in an attempt to fight back."

"How long ago did this happen?" Silandra asked.

"Last night," said Melicamp. "It's a good thing you found me when you did. I'd been hiding in that bush all night, hoping someone would come along who could help me. Those wolves were far too close for comfort."

"I suppose we will have to venture after these brigands," Xan said. "And I also suppose you will tell us that they headed towards the beach."

"Yes," Melicamp said. "There's some treasure cave there."

"We should get moving then," said Silandra.

Imoen picked up Melicamp. "Sorry I dropped ya before," she said.

"You weren't really going to _eat_ me were you?" Melicamp asked.

"Well, yep, if you were a real chicken," said Imoen. "I mean, wouldn't you?"

Melicamp merely clucked a few times, sounding as displeased as a chicken could.

"What made you decide to steal from someone like Thalantyr?" Garrick asked. "You had to know it couldn't end well."

"I was in love," Melicamp said. "Or, at least, I thought I was. Turned out she was using me to get some of Thalantyr's possessions."

"This woman is one of the brigands that robbed you?" Ajantis asked.

"Yes," Melicamp said. He paused and clucked a few times. "Turns out she was with some other fellow all along. And now they've run off with my master's possessions."

"You should tell us more about these two thieves," Silandra said. "We may have to fight them to get back Thalantyr's things."

"I'm not sure they're the type to fight if they can avoid it," said Melicamp. "Safana simply stuns with her beauty while the elf bonks you over the head.

"We understand you are bitter at being duped by this woman, but we would appreciate any real details you can give us," said Xan irritably.

"Safana has a dagger but I haven't seen her use it," Melicamp said. "The elf has a bow and a sword, but like I said, he just hit me over the head. Would've knocked me out too but my skull is exceptionally thick. Thalantyr says so."

Silandra thought it far more likely he had just been exceptionally lucky. Imoen giggled, and Melicamp clucked a few times, sounding as though he disapproved.

"We should change places now," Silandra said. "I think we are near the beach and I don't know how far inland the sirenes may venture. Branwen, do you have your charm protections ready?"

"Of course," said Branwen. "It will not block a powerful charm completely, mind, but it will help."

"I would really rather stay by your side," Ajantis said.

"I'm much safer at the front," said Silandra. "A sirene may easily charm you to attack me. If I can try speaking to them first then things will go much more smoothly."

Ajantis looked shocked at the very thought. "I'm sure I could resist them."

"Like you resisted me when we first met?" Silandra retorted.

Ajantis blushed. "I'm sure these sirenes cannot compare to your beauty, my lady," he said.

"I'm sure they can, and they are full blooded so they are likely more powerful. It is much safer for us all if the men stay at the back of the group."

"What about Melicamp?" Imoen asked.

"He's probably safe enough in chicken form," said Silandra.

Branwen finished her spells, and with only a little more protesting from Ajantis, the group reformed and Silandra and Imoen took the lead. It reminded her of their early talks of adventure, when they had dreamed of traveling all over the world together. They had not considered having other traveling companions, but Silandra appreciated having them. After all, she was sure she and Imoen would not have survived long on their own.

It was only a short time later that the sirenes made their presence known. Their voices could be heard carrying softly over the waves, though they were still not visible, despite the beach finally coming into view. The sand was almost white and the water was a clear blue-green. It looked very inviting, even to Silandra, who could not swim. That was just part of the sirenes' magic. They wanted travelers to venture into the water so that they would make easier targets.

Silandra stopped, willing the sirenes to show themselves. She did not want to get closer than necessary.

"I think I'd like a swim," Branwen said. "We have time, yes?"

"No," said Silandra firmly. "That's the sirenes' influence. Ignore it."

She glanced behind Branwen and Dynaheir to see how the men were doing. Dorn and Ajantis were first, Ajantis wanting to be as near Silandra as possible while still being able to keep an eye on the blackguard. Both looked to be fine for the moment, as did Xan, though Garrick's eyes looked a little glazed, even though he was further back. Minsc seemed more serious than usual; he appeared to be listening very intently to Boo.

"Don't come any closer," Silandra said, before turning back to face the beach. Feeling a little silly, she addressed what appeared to be empty air. "We don't mean you any harm. We are just after a couple of thieves."

There was no audible response, but Silandra felt the singing was getting closer. Perhaps she was imagining it, but she thought she saw the air a few paces ahead of her shimmer.

"We mean no harm," Silandra said, this time in Sylvan. "We are looking for two who may have passed through this area recently. A man and a woman."

"We understand your barbaric tongue well enough," came an icy voice in much better Sylvan. "Your companions are not welcome here."

Finally a figure emerged before them, seemingly out of thin air. She stood ankle deep in the water and her skin was almost the same blue while her hair was a deep green, artfully decorated with seaweed and shells. Larger pieces of seaweed and moss formed a short skirt and a band around her chest. Her only weapon appeared to be the bow at her back. Maybe it was a good sign that she had not drawn it yet.

Silandra found herself looking at the sirene and feeling ugly in comparison. Then she frowned. Was that thought really her own? Yes, she knew she could not compare to the beauty of this creature, but to think herself ugly was quite a stretch. She realized the sirene was attempting to manipulate her.

"That's not necessary," she said sharply. "We do not plan on lingering. Did anyone else come here today?"

"You may be a half-breed, but it would seem the blood is strong within you," the sirene said, smiling slyly as she ceased her influence. "We have not had much cause to trust men. Do you mean to bring them as an offering?"

Silandra hoped none of her companions understood Sylvan. "No," she said. "They are my traveling companions. But they won't harm you. We just want to find the thieves and leave."

The sirene was silent for a moment. She looked over each member of the group in turn, as if appraising them. "They came here a few hours ago. The woman was eager to offer her companion for her safe passage and we could hardly refuse. She entered the cave to the north, looking for some dead pirate's treasure."

Silandra wondered what her chances were of retrieving the man. There were no male sirenes so they enticed elves and humans when they wanted a child. The men were usually willing enough, but sometimes they were never allowed to return home. Even if this man was a thief, it sounded like he had been duped by this Safana woman the same way Melicamp had, and Silandra could not help but feel a little sorry for him. Still, she was on a mission and that had to come first.

"Will you allow my companions and I safe passage through your territory to this cave and back?" she asked.

"Without tribute? The queen may grant your request, if only because the elf the woman brought is so… entertaining. But I will give you a warning I did not give that woman. That cave is full of horrible flesh creatures. She is probably dead by now."

"We will have to go after her regardless," Silandra said. "As I said, she's a thief, and she stole some things that belong to a powerful mage. He has asked us to retrieve them for him."

"You do the bidding of a man?" the sirene asked, raising a sea green eyebrow.

"For payment, of course," Silandra replied.

"And these men, and the women? They follow you?"

"Yes."

The sirene cocked her head, and Silandra thought she heard the singing chance in timbre for a moment. "The queen is coming," she said, looking surprised. "She will be guarded of course. I suggest you advise your companions to show her the respect she deserves and to avoid provoking her."

Silandra wasn't sure if the queen coming was a good thing or not. She turned to her companions, who seemed uncertain. She didn't blame them; after all, they probably had not understood anything that had been said.

"The queen is coming," she said. "I don't think we are in any danger, but you need to stay calm. And you probably shouldn't try speaking to her either. Minsc, can you hold onto Garrick please so that he doesn't do anything he shouldn't?"

Garrick seemed to be completely captivated by the sirene and his body was trembling, as though he were torn between wanting to move forward and wanting to stay still as he should. Minsc set his hands on the bard's shoulders firmly. Garrick sighed and blinked a few times, but his eyes were still unfocused.

"I don't like this, Silandra," Ajantis said quietly. "What if it's a trap to lure you in?"

"I doubt they have much interest in me," said Silandra, though she could not deny that she was worried about her companions.

"There are many more nearby, invisible," said Xan. "I don't think they would have to wait for their queen if they wanted to attack. Besides, sirenes are not innately evil. I do not believe they have reason to harm us."

Ajantis seemed to concentrate for a moment and glanced towards the sirene. It almost seemed as though it pained him to do so, and he averted his gaze a moment later.

"They may not be evil," he said, "but they are not good either."

"Silence! Queen Silara approaches!" the sirene cried, speaking so that all could understand.

The sirene queen was even more beautiful than the sirenes surrounding her. She wore a dress made out of some kind of shimmery material and a crown of sea shells and pearls adorned her head. Her guards carried sharp spears and had daggers at their waists in addition to their bows. They did not look friendly, but the queen herself was smiling.

"I have already decided," she declared, speaking the common tongue. "This one and her companions may pass freely through our lands on this day. We shall meet again, and then I will collect on this debt."

"What will you ask?" Silandra asked, frowning. It could be anything, after all.

"Nothing that you will not be prepared to give," the queen said. "I will require your aid. I have foreseen it."

Silandra could not remember reading anything about sirenes seeing the future. "You're a seer?"

"The ocean tells me things sometimes," the queen replied. "I know about you. If you are to survive to help me, you are going to have to do something about the darkness inside you, you know."

Silandra did not know what to say to that. She remembered what the dryad had said, about there being a shadow over her. At the time, she had not thought too much of it, but now it seemed more important.

"You should leave now and find the thief you seek," the queen said. "When you return, you may take her male with you."

"Thank you," Silandra said, a little stunned. Was this really it? She had not expected the sirene encounter to go so smoothly. She wanted to ask more about this supposed darkness, but she thought that could be pushing her luck.

The queen and her guards faded into the distance. As they did, Silandra thought she heard the queen's voice whispering in her mind. A name, nothing more. She thought she knew what it meant, but she could not spare time to think on it now.

The sirene who had initially confronted the group remained a moment longer, glancing at Silandra incredulously before disappearing.

"I know she said we are safe, but we should move quickly," Silandra said, once she felt she could speak.

Imoen burst out laughing, as if she had been holding it in for a while. "Sil! You could share nicknames with the queen!"

Silandra allowed herself a small smile. The thought had not even occurred to her at the time. She only hoped the queen would not be offended if she was still in earshot.

"I can't believe that just happened," said Garrick, who seemed to be back to normal. "In all the tales, sirenes are evil creatures that drag men to the depths of the ocean and suck out their souls."

"Obviously that is not true," Silandra replied quickly, hoping the sirenes would not overhear. That had to be one of the worst assumptions she had heard about them. "They are territorial, but they only do what they must to survive."

"But they kill innocents," Ajantis said. "Surely that can only make them evil."

"How innocent do you really think the men they kill are?" Silandra asked. "Surely they only kill with good reason. After all, they're going to release the man they just took."

"A thief," Ajantis said derisively. "Why would they choose to let him live?"

Silandra chose not to respond. She thought the most likely reason for letting the elf go was that he had served them well. If Ajantis knew what the sirenes were likely doing with their captive, then he might just explode. Better to just continue along the beach and get this over with. She felt that the sirenes had not left. They were watching them of course, and she hoped they were not too offended by her companions' words.

"I don't suppose you are going to tell us what that sirene meant about the darkness inside you," said Dorn. "It does make Ur-Gothoz's request that I follow you seem more… sensible."

"I have no idea what she was talking about," Silandra said. It was the truth, after all.

"She was obviously mistaken," said Ajantis. "Silandra is a force of goodness."

"On the outside, perhaps," Dorn said.

"Just what are you implying, blackguard?"

"Just that darkness is not always as obvious as you seem to think."

"Enough," said Silandra, unnerved rather than angry. "We're here."

The cave entrance was already before them. Silandra didn't know what exactly the flesh creatures the sirene was referring to might be but she did not like the sound of them.

"Maybe you should have a look first Imoen," she said. "I'll cast an infravision spell. Just be careful."

Imoen was fearless as usual. She was quick to agree, and once the spell took hold she thrust Melicamp at Garrick and crept into the darkness.

Silandra felt a certain sense of trepidation at having just sent her best friend alone into the cave, but thankfully it didn't last long. Imoen was out only a moment later.

"Found her," she said. "Just inside. She might be dead, not sure. I don't think I can pull her out myself. Seems safe enough for the moment but I can hear something big moving around in there."

Silandra looked around at her companions. No one was volunteering, and she didn't blame them.

"Dorn, pull her out please," she said. Dorn was the strongest of her companions, after all, and she wouldn't have to use another infravision spell on him. "Even if she's dead, we have to see if she has Thalantyr's belongings."

Dorn narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before nodding and following Imoen into the cave.

He returned carrying a woman, along with her overstuffed pack.

"Still breathing," he said gruffly.

Silandra looked at the woman. Her dark hair was matted with blood and her skin was pale and clammy, but her beauty was still evident. Silandra did not exactly approve of her using her looks to steal, but she didn't think she deserved to die either.

"Branwen, do you think you can heal her?" she asked. No one had been seriously injured since the cleric had joined the group, so she did not know what to expect from her.

"Really?" came Melicamp's clucky voice. "She's the reason I'm like this!"

"Perhaps, but you're not dead, and I'm sure Thalantyr will be able to return you to normal," Silandra said. "I can't just let her die."

Melicamp gave a cluck of disapproval before falling silent. After all, there was not much he could do in chicken form.

Dorn lay the woman down and Branwen came to examine her.

"Head wounds can be tricky," she said. "Most of her ribs are broken too. But I think I can do it. I may not be able to heal anyone else after though, not before resting."

"We will rest as soon as we are away from the beach," Silandra said. "Do what you can."

"What are we gonna do with her?" Imoen asked, as Branwen began murmuring prayers over the woman.

"I guess we'll take her to Beregost, if she doesn't decide to leave when she wakes," said Silandra. "But no further than that."

"We should turn her in to the authorities," Ajantis said.

"Don't you think this is enough punishment for her crimes?" Silandra asked. "Surely after almost dying she may rethink things."

Xan was rifling through the woman's bag. Silandra might have stopped him if she wasn't so sure that most of the contents were stolen.

"Bring me closer so I can see," said Melicamp. "My master will likely only be prepared to cure me if I return _all_ of his possessions."

Garrick obliged and the chicken looked at the items that Xan pulled out. Not one but two magical tomes, an enchanted cloak, a few wands and spell scrolls as well as a small pouch filled with gems.

"She has been busy," Melicamp mused. "Some of this belongs to my master, but not all. That cloak and that wand, and that book. They are not his."

"Perhaps she found the cave's treasure before the monsters got to her," said Xan. "She has a large amount of gold as well."

"She will live," said Branwen, taking a step back. "She may not wake for a while though."

"I hope you do not expect me to carry her for the next hour or so until we camp," Dorn said.

That was exactly what Silandra had planned on asking. She glanced down at the woman. If they distributed the contents of her pack between some of the members of her group, then perhaps she and Imoen could carry her between them. While she was contemplating this, she heard the sound of weapons being drawn and turned quickly.

Standing on the beach a short distance away was a man—an elf, she realized. His clothes were soaking wet and disheveled and he looked dazed. He had a green tattoo across his eyes in the shape of a mask, which would have looked ridiculous on most people but it seemed to suit him. In some ways, it made what may have been an unremarkable face rather attractive. There was something familiar about the man, but she couldn't remember where she might have seen him before. He had a bow and sword but neither were drawn. It was Ajantis and Minsc who now had their swords at the ready.

"Who are you?" Ajantis demanded.

"My name is… Coran, I think," the elf said. "I might be drunk."

"I don't think he's a threat," said Silandra. "He's probably the elf the sirenes took."

"Sirenes?" Coran asked, glancing around quickly. "Where?"

"I don't think they will be back," Silandra replied. She wondered how much he remembered of his encounter.

Coran's eyes finally focused on Silandra. "Well, the sight of you is enough to push any thought of sirenes from my mind. Which lovely goddess do I have the pleasure of standing before?"

"My name is Silandra," Silandra replied, trying to sound stern but failing. She did have a weak spot for compliments on her appearance.

"Watch yourself when addressing her," said Ajantis.

"I thought I was perfectly respectful," said Coran innocently.

"We don't have time for this," said Silandra. "We need to get away from here. Coran, were you traveling with this woman?"

Coran's finally noticed the prone form lying on the ground. "Safana?" he murmured. He took one uncertain step forward. "I think I am supposed to be upset with her, but I cannot remember why."

"We'll tell you about it later. Do you think you can carry her?" Silandra asked.

"I suppose." Coran lifted Safana easily, still looking a little confused.

"Then let's go," said Silandra. "Once we are well away from the beach we will stop for the night and talk."

They moved quickly, not wanting to stay near the sirenes any longer than necessary. Silandra observed the looks Ajantis was giving Coran. Could it be possible that he was jealous? She had accepted his courtship; he should realize that it was him she liked and she was not going to abandon him for someone she had just met.

When they were far enough from the beach that the siren song could no longer be heard, they found some shelter amongst a few trees and set up camp for the night. Safana was settled in Branwen's tent and kept guarded. Her life was no longer in danger, but no one trusted her and there was no telling what she may do when she woke.

Coran, on the other hand, seemed to have a fuzzy memory of the past few hours. He did remember hitting Melicamp over the head, and admitted to feeling bad about it. Perhaps that was why the blow had not quite been enough to knock the apprentice out. He said it had seemed a good idea at the time, that Safana had promised him riches, but he didn't want to actually _hurt_ anyone. He was watched too, though Silandra didn't feel he was a threat.

Silandra remained seated by Ajantis after eating, attempting to study one of the new spells she was learning. Her companions were, for the most part, happy their encounter with the sirenes had gone so well. She should be too, but she could not stop thinking about what the queen had said. Then she remembered something else.

"Are we still being followed?" she asked, loud enough that everyone could hear.

"I don't think they followed us to the beach," said Dorn. "But I cannot say for certain."

"We will be extra careful on our watch tonight," Silandra said. "I think I'm going to retire early. I can take an early morning watch if needed."

She retreated to her tent and tried to calm her mind. She had some meditating to do.


	23. Chapter 23

Silandra blinked a few times as she returned from her meditative state. Imoen was snoring nearby, but otherwise it was very quiet. A quick peek outside confirmed that it was still dark, and Dorn and Ajantis were on watch. Surprisingly, they managed to sit in silence rather than try to kill each other. She wondered whose idea that pairing had been. Coran was sleeping by the fire. She had thought he would have shared a tent with someone, but maybe it had been decided that he should be out in the open where he could be kept an eye on.

She slipped into her bedroll rather than go outside, even though she felt it must be close to dawn. Meditation was not as restful as sleep and if no one was going to call her to take a turn watching the camp for the night, she should try to get a few hours if possible.

Those were the key words. If possible. The sirene queen had given her a name, one she recognized. Titania, the high queen of the fey pantheon. Silandra was not about to presume it meant Titania would take her as a follower but perhaps she could offer guidance. Yet her meditations had been fruitless.

It had been a while since she had seriously tried meditating. It was once a way of controlling her magic, which often used to get out of hand. Maybe she was just out of practice, or perhaps her mind was just too full.

She tossed and turned for a while, but she knew that, despite how tired she was, sleep was not going to come. She was just trying to decide whether she wanted to go outside and risk inadvertently stirring up trouble between Dorn and Ajantis when her decision was made for her. A woman's shrieks filled the air and she knew she had to investigate.

"Let me up this instant, you brute of a woman! What have you done with my bag? Is there anyone _civilized_ around here?"

Silandra headed outside in time to see Ajantis rushing into Branwen's tent, hand on the hilt of his sword. Dorn stayed put, thankfully. Someone needed to watch the camp. Silandra hurried after Ajantis.

Inside Branwen's tent, Safana was awake and struggling against invisible bonds. Silandra had not quite thought through how she would be watched overnight while inside the tent. Branwen had evidently decided to restrain her with magic while she slept.

Safana looked pleased to see Ajantis, and although she definitely noticed Silandra enter behind him, it appeared she had chosen to ignore her.

"You look to be an honorable man," Safana said. Her voice had been shrill while screaming, but now it was smooth and sultry. "Surely you see that I am no threat and can be released, hmm?"

Ajantis blinked a few times, but otherwise kept his composure. "You are a thief and are being treated as such," he said. "You're lucky we aren't planning on handing you over to the authorities in Beregost."

Safana pouted. "Is this really any way to treat a lady?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him. This may have been more effective if she did not still look half dead.

"You are no lady," Ajantis said firmly.

Safana sighed heavily and finally looked at Silandra. Her face showed a hint of displeasure before she covered it with a very fake-looking smile. "Surely a fellow woman such as yourself won't leave me in such a state?" she asked.

"Branwen, I think it's safe to release her," Silandra said. "She does not have her weapons and we have what we need from her."

"What do you mean, you have what you need?" Safana asked, eyes narrowing. "Where's my bag?"

"You can have it back, minus the items you stole from Melicamp," said Silandra. "Perhaps you should be a little nicer to Branwen here. She saved your life."

Safana rolled her eyes. "I was _fine_. I was just resting in that cave until I was well enough to move."

"You would have died," Branwen said, glaring down at the other woman.

"Safana?"

Coran entered the tent, his eyes sleepy and hair ruffled.

Silandra did not miss the way Safana sighed briefly before smiling up at the elf. "Coran, darling," she said. "I'm so glad you are safe."

"I don't quite believe you, after what you did to me," Coran said drily. "It's been coming back to me."

"You must have hit your head," said Safana. "Or those sirenes messed with your mind."

"I don't think so," said Coran. "I'm starting to believe _you_ might have though. But don't you worry. I don't hold grudges, and there are fairer ladies in this world than you."

"I have far more to offer than my looks, as you know very well," Safana said, attempting to continue her sultry tone.

"You promised me gold and adventure," said Coran. "Instead you threw me to the sirenes."

"But you're fine," Safana said. "You probably enjoyed it."

"I don't remember," Coran said.

"How could anyone enjoy being held captive by those creatures?" Ajantis asked.

Silandra raised an eyebrow at that, but she knew she had to speak quickly to avoid an explanation. "You're free to go if you want, Safana, but you can travel with us to Beregost if you prefer. It might be safer."

"I suppose you're right," Safana said. "I _would_ like my possessions back, however."

"I don't think we're quite willing to trust you with a weapon, but you can have your bag," said Silandra. "Branwen?"

It turned out Safana's bag was inside the tent near Branwen's gear. It was considerably less full after relieving her of Thalantyr's possessions, and the thief seemed to notice when Branwen handed it over.

"What have you done with my things?" she asked, frowning as she began to rummage through the contents.

"We relieved you of the stolen items," said Silandra, a bit annoyed. After all, she thought she had already stated that Safana would not be keeping what clearly did not belong to her.

Safana pulled out a mirror and gasped when she saw her reflection. "Nevermind. Out, all of you! A woman needs her beauty time."

Silandra could at least understand that and she left, followed by Ajantis and Coran, the latter choosing to lie down and attempt to get more sleep. Branwen remained, but it was her tent after all. Silandra was sure she could handle the thief on her own.

The faintest light could be seen in the sky, and she was glad they would soon be on the move once more. She was exhausted, of course, but when she _couldn't_ sleep she would rather be doing something more productive, like moving.

"My lady, are you alright?" Ajantis asked. "Come and sit by the fire."

There wasn't much of a fire left, just a few small flames and burning coals, but Silandra though sitting was a good idea anyway. Ajantis sat beside her, peering at her in concern.

"I'm fine," she said. "Just tired, that's all."

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"No. I was trying to meditate."

"Trying?"

Silandra sighed and shifted closer to Ajantis so she could lean on him. It was not as comfortable as it might have been because of his armor, but she was too tired to care very much.

"I was worried about what the sirene queen said yesterday," she said quietly. "About there being darkness inside me. I thought I should do as Firebead suggested and try meditating, but I didn't get anywhere."

"I don't think you should let it bother you," Ajantis said. "Perhaps she was just trying to unsettle you."

Silandra remembered the first sirene's attempt to manipulate her mind, but she thought she would have noticed if the queen had been trying something similar. No, she felt she had meant those words. Now she just had to work out what they meant and what she could do about it. Her mention of Titania's name seemed to have been offered as an answer of sorts, though maybe it was better not to tell Ajantis just yet. Perhaps once her meditations got her somewhere.

"My mother was a nymph, and Gorion knew her, though I'm not sure how well," she said. "But he never said anything about my father. I can at least assume he is human. But what if he was evil?"

"That would not transfer to you. I don't believe people are born evil. It is a choice they make. Besides, If you were evil, I would have sensed it."

"But what if it's hidden?"

"You are making too much of this. I think it's a good idea to begin trying to meditate, but you should not be discouraged after one failure. Maybe you were too tired. You should try and rest now. An hour or two is better than nothing."

"Your armor is too hard."

"Oh. You mean—you want to sleep here?"

"Maybe it'll work better than in my tent."

"One moment."

Ajantis unclasped his cloak and set it gently beneath Silandra's head. She sighed and leaned again him heavily. After a moment, he put an arm around her, a bit uncertainly. She tried to relax. This felt nice, and she was safe, among friends. But her mind continued to wander to all the possible things that could be wrong with her. What about her healing power? She still did not know where that had come from. What if the god who had bestowed it upon her was evil? She could not discuss it with Ajantis now, for she knew Dorn's hearing was keen. Jaheira had told her to keep it a secret, but maybe she could at least tell Imoen about it. Another perspective might help. She tried to concentrate on watching the horizon, thinking it might be nice to watch the sun rise.

She had closed her eyes for what seemed only a few moments before she was being shaken gently.

"Silandra, it's time to get up."

She blinked a few times and sat up. The tents had been dismantled, for the most part. She turned to see that Coran was helping Imoen and they were nearly done.

"Thank you," she said, stumbling to her feet. "You could've woken me sooner."

"I'm always happy to help beautiful ladies," Coran said, catching her eye for a moment before winking down at Imoen, who blushed.

"You needed sleep," said Ajantis. He stood and stretched.

She couldn't really argue with that. She knew she needed _more_ sleep, but she did feel slightly refreshed after her nap.

Garrick was regaling Safana of their venture to stop the bandits, perhaps hoping she might want to join them. Coran stood nearby, listening with interest, while Safana was only pretending. Silandra could tell that such a woman had no desire to do anything for the good of others.

Before the group could set out for the day, a cloaked figure approached, seemingly from nowhere.

"I am not here to harm you," the man said, taking in the array of drawn weapons he was suddenly facing.

His dark cloak shadowed his face, which made him look sinister. But his hands were empty; he had not drawn the bow at his back.

"What do you want then?" Ajantis demanded. "Are you the one who has been following us?"

"I apologize if I made you uneasy," the man replied. As if it were an afterthought, he pulled down his hood, revealing an intricately tattooed face and the long ears of an elf. "My name is Kivan. I felt it necessary to observe you before approaching. I heard your discussion about the bandits this morning. I am seeking them too, and would join your cause if you accept."

"Why not just talk to us?" Silandra asked.

"I had to be sure you were not aligned with the bandits," Kivan replied.

"Do we _look_ like bandits?" Silandra asked.

"I thought you could be some of the higher ups."

"I suppose that's better than being mistaken for common thugs. Have you actually seen the people in charge?"

"Some of them."

"Well, perhaps we can help each other. Why are you after the bandits?"

"I would rather not discuss it," Kivan replied. He had shown little emotion until this point, but for the briefest moment pain flashed across his features. "Is it not enough that we both seek the same thing?"

"I'm sorry," Silandra said automatically. She thought she saw it now; he had lost someone to these bandits. "Of course you can join us."

She was sure her companions would have spoken up by now if they had a problem with Kivan joining. Ajantis was the most likely to object, and while he was probably not ready to trust the elf right away, he seemed to be ready to give him a chance. Having more allies would help when they attacked the bandits, and someone with the skill to sneak so easily through the forest would be particularly useful. Introductions were made and they were finally off.

"I have heard the bandits speak your name," Kivan said quietly. "They want you dead."

"There's a bounty," Silandra replied. "I don't know why. I never did anything to them."

"Well, we did ruin their ore poisoning in Nashkel," Imoen pointed out.

"You know what I mean," said Silandra. "Even before that, they were after me."

Kivan didn't seem to have a response for that. In fact, as they walked, he remained silent. Maybe he just needed some time to get to know everyone. Even Dorn would often converse with Branwen as they traveled.

They were getting close to Thalantyr's place when, quite suddenly, a boy darted onto the path in front of them. He was probably thirteen or so, old enough to think he was a man but young enough to be quite defenseless.

"What are you doing out here?" Silandra asked. "Where are your parents?"

The boy gave a little shrug, seemingly unfazed at coming across a group of armed men and women, some of who had drawn their weapons on reflex. "Back home I 'spose. I came out lookin' for berries 'cos food's been so expensive."

"If thou art looking for berries, then where art thy basket?" Dynaheir asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"Lost it," the boy said, giving her a funny look. "Was bein' chased by some spooks. I lost 'em though, 'cos I'm quick."

"Spooks?" Silandra repeated.

"Oh yeah," the boy said. "I was watchin' 'em. They're real funny. This priest was talkin' to 'em. Think he was kinda crazy."

"You really should go home," Silandra said, forehead creasing slightly in worry. "Is it far from here?"

"Only takes me a few hours if I run," the boy replied. "Probably should be gettin' back I 'spose. You look like adventurers, maybe you should do something 'bout those spooks."

"Where are they?" Silandra asked.

"There-ish," the boy said, waving his hand south. "Pretty close."

"Are you sure you can make it home safely?"

"Of course!" the boy replied. "I come out this way all the time. You take care of those spooks and there'll be no problem."

The boy ran off, and Silandra stared after him for a moment wondering whether to follow and ensure he really did make it home alright. But he had not been lying; he was fast. She sighed and hoped he would be alright.

"We should look for whatever scared the boy," Ajantis said. "If he comes out here often, then others probably do too. If there is danger nearby we should look into it."

"You're right," said Silandra. "I just hope it's not far."

The group changed course, moving quickly. It did not take long before they ran into a few animated skeletons. They were cut down easily, but it was not normal to see undead wandering in the daylight, and Silandra was sure her companions shared her concern.

At one point Kivan held up a hand, long ears twitching slightly. "Not far now," he murmured softly. "I can hear a man talking to someone. He does not sound… sane."

Xan nodded. "I hear it too. He is likely responsible for the undead."

Branwen and Ajantis clutched their holy symbols, willing any undead in the area to stay away.

More skeletons and a few zombies came into view, but they were keeping their distance and did not seem interested in attacking the group. Silandra was not sure if their behavior was due to the holy power being directed their way or something else, but she was glad all the same. They were creepy.

A man's voice could soon be heard, laughing and murmuring something to someone he called 'Brother Thurm'. Moments later, the group entered a clearing where someone had erected a few large stones. Silandra thought it looked the way druid rings had been described in her books, though the man standing there did not look like a druid at all. He was wearing chain armor, though it had seen better days, and he had a large golden warhammer which he was swiping casually through the air as he spoke. It turned out his conversation partner was a zombie, which did not appear to be listening. Instead, it gazed off into the distance, groaning.

Silandra was wary of this man. There were many skeletons and zombies in the area, and although Branwen and Ajantis' influence was beginning to force them back, that may not last. If this man controlled them, he could prove to be dangerous.

"Thurm, where are you going? Aunt Edith?" The man looked around wildly as the zombies nearest him began to edge away, until his crazed eyes landed on Silandra and her friends. "Why would you _frighten_ my family like that?"

"We're sorry," Silandra said. "Are you…alright?"

The man wrinkled his brow as he looked at her, tilting his head one way then the other. "Wait a moment… Mother, is that you?"

"Do I look old enough to be your mother?" Silandra asked irritably, the offense coming before she could remember that this man was probably insane.

The man's brow creased and he took a few steps closer. "I suppose not. Then who _are_ you?"

Coran sidled up to Silandra, ignoring the look Ajantis gave him. "I think I know who this is," he murmured. "In Beregost, I heard that a madman is out here murdering people and raising them as undead. His name is Bassilus and there is a substantial monetary reward for disposing of him."

"He doesn't seem… right," Silandra whispered back.

"Yes, it would be a kindness to put him out of his misery," Coran said.

"Cease your whispering!" Bassilus cried, waving his warhammer. "You will do as my mother for now!"

He threw his warhammer to the ground and began casting a spell. The surrounding undead appeared to grow agitated, trying to press back against the holy power keeping them at bay, and some were succeeding.

"Silence him!" Branwen cried, perhaps recognizing his spell.

A few arrows quickly made their way towards the mad priest. They were aimed well, yet each one was intercepted by the zombie nearest Bassilus, who happened to stumble in front of him at that moment. The zombie groaned once more before falling to the ground, just as a golden ball of light shot towards the group.

"Look what you've done!" Bassilus screeched. "You've killed my brother!"

Silandra felt the golden glow engulf her but thankfully it did not appear to do anything. She was hesitant to take her eyes off Bassilus, but the lack of movement from her side worried her enough to risk it anyway. Ajantis, Minsc and Dorn were all frozen in place. That was not ideal.

More arrows headed Bassilus' way but he was surprisingly quick to block them with his shield. Silandra sent a volley of magic missiles, but he blocked those too. At least they singed his shield. He began casting another spell.

Thankfully, Dyaneheir was casting too, and a large ball of fire shot towards the priest and his undead minions. The area was engulfed in moments, and the flames were near enough that Silandra could feel their heat. When they cleared, Bassilus was on the ground, charred and unmoving. Without his influence to animate them, the undead who had not been burnt to a crisp fell into piles of bones and rotting flesh.

"Nice one, Dynaheir," Imoen said, sounding a little queasy.

Coran stepped forward, grimacing only slightly at the charred corpse on the ground. He poked gingerly at the man with his bow.

"What are you doing?" Silandra asked.

"He must have something we can show as proof that we've got rid of him," said Coran. "Ah, here. Cyric's symbol. Makes sense."

He picked up something shiny and wiped it on his pants. He began moving it to his pocket, then hesitated a moment. He glanced up at Ajantis, still frozen though able to see and hear everything.

"I suppose I'll hand this over to your beautiful leader, as a sign of good faith," Coran said. "I trust her to share the reward."

Silandra took the black sun symbol gingerly and put it into a pocket of her bag, not wanting to touch it longer than necessary. She thanked Coran and turned her attention to her frozen party members. Xan was murmuring a spell over them, one by one, and she was relieved to see it taking effect.

"I can't believe you brought me into danger without arming me!" Safana cried. She had remained at the back of the group as they approached the area, perhaps ready to run for it if necessary. "I could have _died_!"

"You weren't even close to dying," said Imoen, rolling her eyes.

"We're not far from Thalantyr's now," Silandra said. "I doubt we'll run into more trouble before then."

"At least you're not a chicken!" Melicamp squawked, ruffling his feathers.

"I would still much rather be armed," Safana said, eyeing Melicamp with distaste.

"Maybe you shoulda thought of that before you went around robbing people," Imoen said. "Let's get moving."

Of course, Imoen had done her fair share of stealing, but Silandra wasn't going to mention that. Besides, stealing a few coins from rich people was different to stealing a bunch of magical items from a powerful mage, especially in such an underhanded way.

They headed towards Thalantyr's place. Silandra thought they could reach Beregost that night if there were no further hold ups, and she was already dreaming of sleeping in a real bed and having a hot meal once more.

As they walked, they encountered the remains of a few more of Bassilus' undead minions. It was a good thing they had killed Bassilus when they did, for it seemed his army had been expanding rapidly and may have reached Beregost before long.

Melicamp began to tremble in Imoen's arms when Thalantyr's abode came into view. Imoen stroked his feathers gently, though she may also have been trying to soothe herself. Garrick and Safana were walking together a few paces ahead and seemed to be getting on well.

It was quickly decided that Safana and Coran should not enter the building. Kivan said he would prefer to remain outside too, and Dorn and Branwen did not need magical weapons so they stayed to keep an eye on the thieves.

"Well, did you find him?" Thalantyr asked by way of greeting.

"Right here!" Imoen replied in an attempt at her usual cheerfulness.

Thalantyr glanced at the Melicamp chicken and sighed. "Melicamp. How did this come about?"

"I'm so sorry master!" Melicamp clucked. "I should never have stolen from you! I tried using the bracers to defend myself, but—"

"The bracers? Idiot boy. Let me take a look."

Imoen handed the chicken over to Thalantyr, who was not particularly gentle as he poked and prodded, muttering incantations here and there.

"I believe there is a chance I can return Melicamp to his true form," Thalantyr said. "The spell itself does not take long but it is risky, and I shall need a dead element. A human skull should do."

"A skull?" Melicamp asked, sounding panicked.

This did not mean all that much to Silandra, but she could see from Xan and Dynaheir's faces that this was a serious matter.

"It is a resurrection of sorts," said Thalantyr. "Like I said, risky. But it's either that or you live the rest of your days as a chicken."

"I think we can get a skull easily enough," said Silandra. "We'll return shortly."

It was a simple enough matter for the party to find one of the skulls from Bassilus' creations. When they returned Thalantyr began his spell. He acted confident, but Silandra watched nervously.

A few moments later, the skull disintegrated and Melicamp changed, first growing larger, before his feathers merged into skin. Melicamp was so pleased to no longer be a chicken that he did not seem to mind his lack of clothes at first. Thalantyr sighed and conjured a blanket for him.

"As I thought, the bracers are now long gone," he said. "No doubt they have been spirited away elsewhere to cause mischief. What of the rest of my belongings?"

They handed over the items they had taken from Safana, and although at first Thalantyr seemed more interested in making sure nothing was damaged, he did keep his word.

He held out a beautiful set of robes in dark blue trimmed with gold. Silandra could not deny that they were much nicer than either Dynaheir's or Xan's, definitely more than she was expecting. She knew she would have to try and find some new dresses that would do the robes justice. Perhaps they could do a little shopping in Beregost. She put them on, finding they fit perfectly. She was itching to take out her mirror, but she made herself wait.

"If anyone needs protection, it is you," said Thalantyr, evidently in a better mood than when they had first met him. "I know about the bounty on your head, and I can only imagine what powerful forces may want you dead."

"Thank you," Silandra said. She wondered how much these robes would ordinarily cost, since she was certain they were not the cheapest he had to offer. She could feel the protective magic seething through the fabric as she touched it.

Now that Thalantyr was also giving the group a discount, they were able to afford magic swords for Minsc and Ajantis, albeit of the cheaper variety. They also got some fire arrows, because Imoen insisted they would be useful and Silandra couldn't see a good reason to refuse.

Melicamp, who had gone to dress properly in the meantime, returned to thank the group for saving him. Hopefully he would not tell Thalantyr about Safana's role until they were well away. Personally Silandra wouldn't mind giving up the thief to protect the rest of the group, but maybe it would not be necessary.

They made it back to Beregost later that evening without incident. However, when they began heading towards the Burning Wizard, Safana spoke up.

"I believe this is where we part ways," she said. "I will be staying at Feldepost's. Garrick, darling, care to join me?"

Garrick's eyes darted over his group members, lingering on Imoen only slightly longer than the others. "It's been fun, but I think I need to start a new adventure," he said. "I'm going with Safana."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Silandra asked. She was sure it wasn't, but who was she to tell Garrick what to do?

"I have to follow my muse," Garrick said. "And that is now Safana."

"But who will tell Minsc and Boo bedtime stories?" Minsc cried.

"Didn't Dynaheir tell them before me? I'm sure she is a fantastic storyteller," said Garrick.

Minsc was beginning to sniff, and Silandra watched him in alarm. Even Imoen was keeping her composure. "She doesn't know as many!"

"Well, I'm sure she can pick up some new ones on your travels," Garrick said.

Minsc was apparently too overwhelmed to speak, and instead gathered Garrick in what must have been a rather painful hug from the look on the young bard's face. Somehow, Silandra couldn't bring herself to care too much.

Finally the pair had gone, and the rest of the group continued on their way to the Burning Wizard. Silandra fell back beside Imoen, indicating to Ajantis that he should continue without her.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

"Fine," said Imoen, shrugging. "I guess… like I said. He didn't like me like that. Maybe it's for the best."

The inn was busy; they were only able to get two rooms and there did not appear to be any tables available. Still, there was food to be had, and a few seats at the bar. There also happened to be a bard playing, and a few of the commoners were dancing.

Imoen picked at her food, which was so very unlike her that Silandra also found it hard to eat much out of worry.

"Lady Imoen, would you care to dance?"

Imoen and Silandra both looked up to see Coran standing there, grinning at Imoen. It wasn't what Silandra expected, but she was pleased, especially when she saw the corners of Imoen's mouth turn up slightly.

Imoen hesitated only a moment before jumping up and taking Coran's hand. Silandra was relieved. It looked like she would be alright. Moments later, Ajantis asked her to dance and she acquiesced. For the moment, she was able to just enjoy herself and forget about the fact that they had to begin their search for the bandit camp tomorrow. She didn't worry about her strange healing power, or the bandits who wanted to kill her, or what the sirene queen had said. She just danced.


End file.
